A Knight's Vengeance
by The-Storm-Unleashed
Summary: Coming from a long line of Templar Knights, Amelia has dedicated her life to killing the Assassin that murdered her parents. Using the Animus to visit the memories of the Grand Master Templar who founded the Templar Order, Amelia gains his powers through the Bleeding Effect to gain her vengeance against the Assassins. Rated M for language and sexual content.
1. Ghosts

**Hello everyone and welcome to my story. In this story you will go between my OC and her ancestors. This will be distinguished in _italics_ and the change in tense. I hope you like this story, and please let me know what you think in the reviews! Enjoy! **

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**A Knight's Vengeance**

 **Ghosts**

 **Amelia James**

 _He approached the other men he was to call his brothers. They had fought together and they had died together, and tonight, they would create the oath that would bind them together. He looked upon his brothers with a sense of pride and admiration. Together, they would bring understanding to the world; teach the uneducated, feed the starving, nurse the sick, house the homeless. Their cause was just, and they would bring forth a new admiration for the holy Lord._

 _Andre de Montbard stood before his brothers as they circled one another. Seven men all bound together by their love and devotion to God and His creations on this holy earth. De Payens spoke to his fellow soldiers of the importance in their presence there in the catacombs of Jerusalem. He told the men that their deeds would be remembered by many, and their charity to those in need would not be overlooked by God when judgment came. Andre's heart swelled with the pride at his association with this noble cause._

 _De Payens told the men before him, that they would be the forefathers of a righteous world. The brothers had called out in cries of agreement and cheer. De Paynes said the words. The tenants of the Order the men were to live by for the remainder of their lives. Andre's chest swelled with pride as he repeated after his Master._

 _"_ _May the Father of understanding guide you."_

I inhale deeply as I lift my body from the Animus. My vision blurs as I try to look around and assess my surroundings. My eyes focus on my sister as she approaches me. She gives me a pressed smile and I frown at her.

"How long was I in there for?" I ask with a hoarse tone from not using my voice for a while.

She scrambles at my harsh tone. "Uh… three hours, and—"

"Why did you pull me out?" I ask her in an angry and low tone, swinging my legs from the Animus and standing for the first time in a few hours. It takes a moment for my legs to adjust to my weight on them, but they finally do. I look down at my twin sister as I tower over her while she sits in her wheelchair. "You know I can safely be inside the Animus for five hours before experiencing the Bleeding Effect."

She swallows hard at my unforgiving tone and wheels herself to her desk. "It wasn't my decision. It was his." She says motioning with her head at the doorway where I see him peaking in. My eyes lock on his and he shoots me a smile that crawls up the side of his burned face. "Juhani," I say in a surprised tone. "You're back."

"How are the dark ages?" he asks me with a laugh. He motions me to join him and I leave the room with him. I look back at my sister who has wheeled at herself to her desk and types away at her computer.

"How was your mission?" I ask him once we have left my sister.

"Unsuccessful," he says in a grumbling tone. "How about yours."

"The same," I shamefully admit.

Because of my ancestral tie to one of the founding fathers of the Templar Order, Andre de Montbard, Alan Rikkin has tasked me in locating any Pieces of Eden the Templars came across during their rise within the Order. Andre's memories have been hard to access for quite sometime, as my DNA was not syncing with his very well, however, the longer I am in the Animus, the easier it is becoming to sync with Andre and his memories are becoming more readily available.

"Don't have anything to bring back to Rikkin?" Juhani asks.

I shake my head, "Nothing so far." I say in a defeated tone. "What of you?" I look up at him, "You said your mission was unsuccessful?"

"We were unable to locate any further Assassin hideouts." He says quietly, "My team has been unsuccessful since the attack on Florence. I fear Rikkin will see these recent defeats and find another to lead Sigma Team."

I look over at his burn, that still continues to heal. It has only been a month since Juhani led Sigma Team into Florence, killing 3 high-ranking Assassins Masters after a raid on their hideout. The Templars have been grateful to Juhani's service and though he did not kill his main target, Harlan Cunningham, he did take down their master Adriano Maestranzi who cowardly deployed a bomb on the hideout, killing all of Sigma Team and scarring Juhani.

"I am sure Rikkin will see your worth and reinstate Sigma Team into a meaningful mission once more. At least you are going on the field." I say begrudgingly.

He looks down at me with a frown. "How is your conditioning within the Animus going? Has your skill improved?"

"I have been training with Rizzo. He says that I am getting better, and the more I sync with my ancestors, the better my fighting skill gets."

"I am proud of you." He says flashing me a sly smile. I smile back at him when something catches his attention behind me. He frowns and I look behind me. Through the door walks a disoriented and aggravated Daniel Cross.

He comes in and two men come rushing to his aid. He pushes the men off of him and calls out for Warren. His eyes flash at me and he gives me a hateful look. I return his gaze with the same amount of hate as he walks past me and up to Warren's office.

"I heard he failed in retrieving Desmond Miles." Juhani says, explaining Daniel's erratic behavior.

"Maybe if Vidic or Rikkin used me, I could bring in the Miles men, no problem." I say lowly. Juhani reaches out for my hand as a comforting gesture, but I walk away from him, wanting to be alone.

Unlike all the high-ranking Templars that walk these walls, I was born into this Order, and my lineage goes back to one of the first Grand Masters of the Templar Order. Throughout the hundred of years that followed, adopting the Templar way has always been instilled in my ancestry. My father was a Templar and though he only had my sister and I, he taught us everything he knew about the Order, and ensured that we were active members within the Order, until his death. The memory brings a lump in my throat, but it is clear in my mind. I was only ten years old when it happened and after seeing the Nutcracker one stormy December night, we were ambushed by a group of Assassins while driving home.

I can still hear the soundtrack to the Nutcracker that we forced my father to play on the way home. I remember the warmth of the car as we drove down the stormy road. I remember the smell of my mother's nutmeg perfume; the memory bringing a smile to my face and for a moment, I don't remind myself of how the night panned out. However, every time I remind myself of the happiness and warmth I felt in the small moment of my life, I soon remember the hell that I was put through that night.

I remember the lights of the car behind ours. The car that slammed into the back of our car and pushed us off of the bridge and into the iced over lake. I remember the water being so cold, and my fur jacket soaking wet. I remember looking over at my sister—my twin—and seeing her face contort in fear as a piece of the car impaled her spine. I remember the blood staining her white dress. I can still smell the rusty smell of her blood as it filled the car. I remember looking at my mother and seeing her head split open on the dash. I knew right away that she was dead. The way that she was looking at my father with wide, lifeless eyes; the unmistakable look of death in her eyes… it was nothing like in the films.

I remember my father looking back at us with fear in his eyes; something I had never seen in his eyes until then. I remember him commanding me to unbuckle myself and my sister and to swim from the car as the water rushed in. I remember being frozen in fear of his demanding voice. I was unable to move, unable to save myself or my sister. He had to cut his seatbelt and maneuvered to the back of the car as the freezing water rushed in. He cut our seat belts and he forced me from the car, as he struggled with my sister. I swam to the shore of the lake and watched for what felt like an eternity waiting for my father and sister. After they sprung up from the water, I assisted my father in getting my sister to the shore safely.

I thought the nightmare was over, however, the Assassins watched us come to shore and met us where we sought refuge. I remember my father begging the Assassin to spare him and his children. He told the Assassin that he was all we had left. I remember the Assassin's face. He looked me in the eyes, and then my sister, and then my father. And with no regret in his eyes, he pulled out his hidden blade and drove it into my father's lungs. I remember screaming for my father and kicking the man that stabbed him. After he knew my father dead, he dropped his lifeless body to the ground, and he looked at us with his cold grey eyes. He pulled out a phone and called the police. He told them it was an accident and to send an ambulance. I remember the look he gave me; the look of nothing…no regret, no sorrow, no worry… just lifeless.

I bury my face in my hands at the memory. Alan Rikkin had visited us in the hospital that night. He was a good friend of my father and loved my father who was his Grand Master. He was the one who told me that my sister had been paralyzed from the waist down. He told me that she would never walk again, and he cried with me in the waiting room. That day he promised me that he would do everything to deliver the man who killed my father to justice. I remember asking Alan for the name of the Assassin who killed my father, and I remember the way he looked at me when he told me his name. _William Miles._

Since that night, I have dedicated my life to killing William Miles. I have trained in the Animus, and I have trained with Rizzo to ensure that I am a worthy adversary to the Master Assassin. I have gained many skills within the Animus through the Bleeding Effect and with the new unlocked memories of Andre de Montbard, I will have William Miles' blood all over my hands.

Alan has been apprehensive to send me out to the field as he raised my sister and I after my parent's death and sees us as his own children. He worries about us and shelters us from the Assassins. I long for a field mission, as my growing skills within the Animus push me more towards being a soldier.

I decide to enter my room again where my sister, Lilly is at her desk. When she sits at her desk, she looks normal, and exactly like me. We are identical twins, and share the same emerald eyes, chocolate brown hair, sharp jawline, arched eyebrows, pale skin, and soft nose. As children, we used to trick everyone by pretending to be the other. No one was able to tell us apart… except for my father. He always saw the differences in the two of us.

Lilly looks over at me and smiles. She rolls from her desk and turns towards me. The sight makes me frown and I look down at her frail and weathered legs. They are so small and turned off to the side. She is now smaller than me, weighing only 96lbs against my 130lbs. She is not as healthy looking as I am and her body does not have as much muscle as mine holds. Alan wanted to pay for the best physical therapy he could find, but Lilly wanted to help the Templars with her mind, rather than her body. She is a brilliant hacker and has a mind for computers unlike me. She always joked that she didn't need legs to hack into the Assassin's servers.

Regardless of the situation that she has made of it, every time I see her, I want to take us back to the night it all happened and sit in her seat and have this happen to me.

"Did you hear Daniel is here?" She asks me, and I pull myself from my memories of the night.

"Yes, I saw him." I say coldly. Daniel and I have never seen eye to eye. Daniel has always been jealous of my ability to withstand the negative effects of the Bleeding Effect from the Animus. I have never liked his arrogant way of going about the facility, and it is finally catching up to him as his mind becomes more and more unstable due to the Bleeding Effect.

"How is he doing? How are his spirits?" She asks. Lilly is working with the Animus, trying to make it safer to enter without the psychosis of the Bleeding Effect. She has been working with Daniel intimately, trying to reverse his symptoms. I know that Lilly has developed a liking to Daniel and I do not approve or like it. He is a danger to her and all those around him, and if it weren't for the fact that he is a hero amongst the Order for killing the Assassin Mentor, he would not be held in as such high of a regard as he is now.

"Unstable, "I say and she frowns.

"I have been working on pushing you more in the Animus." She says turning her chair from me. "Right now, you are able to stay in the animus 4 times the length that Daniel is with just 2 more beats per minute. Once your heart rate reaches 189 BPM, I pull you out. With Daniel's condition and his age being almost twice as yours, I have to pull him out at 166. I am working on getting him to stay in the Animus longer but… the Bleeding Effect has already effected his brain too severely and he just has extreme brain damage."

"What is the likelihood that I will be on track to end up the blubbering mess that he is?" I say harshly and she shoots me an angry look.

"Why would you say such an awful thing?" She asks me but I just cross my arms over my chest. She has always been more sensitive than I have been. "If you stick to my schedule, you'll be fine." She says sternly.

I shake my head, "I don't like your schedule. It doesn't give me enough time in the Animus to gain our ancestor's muscle memory. If I am going to prove to Alan that I am a well-trained field agent, I am going to need to stay in there longer."

I sit down in the Animus and give her a demanding look. She frowns as she maneuvers her chair and rolls to her desk. She begins typing and I lay down in the Animus. I wait for a moment, then feel myself slipping from my body as though I am slipping into a dream.

 _Andre took to the crowded streets of Jerusalem searching for the audience of a very important man. Their eyes had locked in the streets and the man had given Andre a subtle wave of the hand. Andre pushed through the crowd and approached the man. He told Andre to sit, and he did._

 _"_ _Nephew," Andre said respectfully to the man._

 _"_ _Uncle." He acknowledged. "You are looking well."_

 _"_ _Quiet the contrary Bernard." Andre had said in a low tone, "The Order is failing." He said in a drier tone. "We are impoverished. Our purses are empty, our bellies cry for nourishment, and our clothes tear from our bodies. All while our very affluent and very indebted allies sip the blood of Christ from golden chalices!" His voice whipped the man who sat down next to him._

 _The man had chuckled with uncomfortable fear, "What is it you would have me say, Andre? I am but a—"_

 _"_ _You are the founder of the Cistercian Order of monks." He said with a pressed tone. "You have your polished hands inside the church's purse." He grabbed the collar of his nephew and spoke lowly to the boy. "Have you forgotten what my brothers have done for you? The coin we spared, the tongues we stopped from wagging hateful lies of your Order? You will do it best to return the favors we gave you."_

 _"_ _What would you have me do?" The man said with fear in his tone._

 _"_ _You are a scholar, good with your words. Write to them and speak persuasively on our behalf. Tell them of our devotion to God and His holy path. Give praise of the New Knighthood." He told the man. "And if you do not," the Knight pulled a small dagger from his belt and placed it between the man's legs. "And if you do not, I will rob you of everything you hold, because you see, my good deeds have gifted you with more to lose."_

I open my eyes and feel a piercing pain coming from my left eye. It feels as though I am being stabbed in the eye. I press my palm to my eye and grown at the pressure. I stay laying within the Animus, waiting for a moment to gather myself. After exiting the Animus, it takes a moment for me to gather my own thoughts.

After a moment of gathering myself I look around the room and see my sister typing at her computer. I swing my legs over the side of the Animus and moan at the movement. "How long—"

"Alan asked me to pull you out." She says without looking at me. "He said he would like to speak with you."

I rub my head and get up off of the Animus. My legs aren't so weak, which gives me an idea that I was not in the Animus for too long.

I enter his office as he is on a video chat with his daughter, Sophia. She calls out to me when Alan tells her I entered his office. We spend a moment exchanging petty conversation with each other until Alan finally wishes her luck in her studies and ends the call. He finally looks at me with a warm smile.

"How are you doing, my child?" He says in a warm tone.

"I am doing well." I tell him.

"Lilly tells me that you are doing well in the Animus. That you have unlocked Andre de Montbard's memories."

"Yes, Sir. I have just started watching his memories, seeing him say the oath for the first time."

He looks at me longingly, "How was it? To hear the founding fathers say the tenant of our Order?"

"It was inspiring," I admit.

He smiles at me, "And what of the Piece of Eden? Have you seen anything from his memories?" he asks eagerly.

"No, nothing yet." I say and his mood turns less enthusiastic.

"Well," he says pursing his lips, "Keep at it, and come to me when Andre has led you to the artifact."

"What about William?" I ask him and he grows tense. "I know that you sent Daniel to retrieve Desmond Miles. Desmond and William have reunited; you catch Desmond, you catch William."

"And as you are well aware, Daniel was unsuccessful in his recovery of Desmond." He says in a pressed tone.

"Yes…" I say, "But if you send me, then—"

"Absolutely not." He says sternly and I try to argue with him. "You are not ready for a field mission. Let alone one as dangerous and important as the capture of William Miles."

"And yet you send Daniel? He is an unhinged timebomb. Send someone more composed. Send Juhani and myself." He looks at me with tense eyes when I mention Juhani. "He and I work well together. Bring Rizzo in here and he will tell you of my growing ability." I beg.

"I did not call upon you to have you beg before me." He says in a disgusted tone. "I brought you here to discuss your ancestor."

"I haven't found the Piece of Eden!" I yell at him and he looks shocked. I too am shocked at my reaction. I look down at my hands and see that my nails are digging into my palms. I take a deep breath and look up at Alan. "He is so close… I can feel him." I sigh in a defeated tone.

"I know, child." He says with a soothing voice. "You will have your moment with him, but it is imperative for the time being, that you focus on your ancestor and finding the Piece of Eden."

I swallow hard and am no longer able to look at him. Without another word I leave his office and head to my room. When I reach the door to my room, I can no longer bottle up my frustration and I begin to punch the wall. I scream as I punch the wall, no longer feeling the pain. I close my eyes and see Andre. He looks at me as he sits inside a library, surrounded by books. He takes a silver cup full of wine and looks me strait in the eyes. He lifts the cup at me as if he is toasting to me.

"Amelia!" I hear my name being called out as I am ripped of my vision of my ancestor.

I look at the voice that calls my name and see that I am in the arms of Juhani who holds me tightly. I look up at him and see a concerned look in his eyes. I look down at my knuckles to see that they are bloodied and bruised.

I sit down on my bed across from Juhani while he cleans my hands and wraps them in bandages. He does not say a word to me because he knows what is happening to me; he saw it happen to Daniel. I look at him and when he finally meets my gaze, he shoots me a small smile, then looks back down at my hands.

"He told me I wasn't going on the mission to retrieve William." I tell him while looking down at my knuckles. Juhani knows more than anyone how important it is that I kill William.

He continues to wrap my hands and takes a moment to respond. "He wishes to protect you."

"He wants me to focus on Andre de Montbard." I correct him. "He wants the location of the Piece of Eden. Nothing else." I say in a cold tone. "If I get him what he wants, he will give me what I want."

"The memories are destroying you." He says finally looking at me with his icy eyes.

"I am not Daniel." I say lowly, "I can handle the Animus."

He shakes his head, finishing wrapping my hands. "You continue to use that machine and you will be just like him." He threatens.

"I have to kill him, Juhani." I say in a sad tone. "I have to have my revenge. I looked into his eyes and I watched as he killed my father with no regret. I want him to suffer for what he did to me… to Lilly." I swallow hard and the thought of my sister and Juhani put his head down.

"Rikkin will let you have your way with William, but when the time comes. Do not rush it." I sigh and he smiles at me.

He pushes strands of my hair behind my ear. He leans in and gently presses his lips against mine. I accept his kiss. It has been a while since I have kissed him, and I have missed his lips so much. He grabs my legs and separates them as he crawls on top of me, not letting his lips leave mine. He begins to explore my body with his lips, wandering down to my chest. I moan with acceptance as he kisses my chest. I open my eyes and look behind him to see Andre de Montbard standing at the edge of the room. He does not appear to me as a ghost, but as material as Juhani before me. He gives me a cynical smile that creeps up the side of his face as he lifts the silver cup, toasting to me once more.


	2. Master Templar

**Master Templar**

I bring my fists up to my face, holding them to block his advances. He swings at me and I push his fist away from me with my forearm. He approaches me again and I duck. He swings his leg and I step back. He hides his smile behind fists, as I can see that he is proud of me. "You're getting a lot better at this." Rizzo says between breaths. "Your time in the Animus is showing."

I smile at the compliment. I approach him as he lets me go on the offensive. I swing at him and he dodges my advance. I swing my leg at him and he tightens his stance so he is not knocked down. I back away from him and see something shine behind him.

My eyes flash behind Rizzo and I see Andre de Montbard once more. He smiles at me cynically, his deep brown eyes digging into me. I freeze at the sight of him. He pulls out his sword and holds his stance as if he is going to attack me. He begins to charge at me, and I close my eyes.

I feel something hard hit my face and I fall to the ground. I open my eyes to see Rizzo standing over me. "Are you alright?" he asks in a concerned tone. "I am so sorry, I thought you were going to block my attack."

I don't answer Rizzo and I look around for Montbard, but he is no where in sight. "It's alright." I finally tell Rizzo. "I was just…" I try to think of what to say and I don't want to admit that I am seeing Montbard out of the Animus. "I was just distracted." I say.

He helps me to my feet and tells me to take a break and get some water. I head over to the water cooler where I see Daniel Cross sitting on a nearby bench wrapping his wrists before he spars with his punching bag. He looks at me with narrowed eyes and I return the look. I take the small disposable cup and fill it with water. I take three swigs quickly, then fill the cup for a forth time and sip from it slowly.

"That is going to leave a bruise." Daniel says not looking at me but out on the mat where other Templars spar.

I roll my eyes and exhale, "What is?" I say, engaging him.

"That punch," Daniel says cocking his head up at me. "He got you pretty hard. Wonder what captured your attention in that moment." I look at him with intense eyes and he lifts himself up. He approaches me and gets uncomfortably close to me. "Was it just a voice? Or did you actually see him?" he whispers and I recoil at his hot breath on my skin as he bends his head down to my ear. I look up at him and he shoots me a sly smile. I look away from him and bring my shoulder up at the discomfort of him so close to me. "Don't worry," he says looking away from me. I follow his gaze to see that Juhani is watching us intensely, "It gets worse." He says with a snicker. He shoves my shoulder as he walks past me spilling the water from the cup on me.

I scoff and wipe the water off of me when Juhani approaches me. "What did he say to you?" he asks seeing the discomfort in my body language.

"Nothing," I say quickly. "He is just being an asshole, as always." Juhani grabs my chin and examines it. I exhale when I see the concerned look in his eyes. "It's nothing."

"It's already getting color." Juhani retaliates. I push his hand away and he frowns. "You weren't in bed this morning." He simply says.

I swallow hard at the comment. "I had training with Rizzo."

"What is happening, Amelia?" Juhani asks me, "You're distant."

"I am trying to train to become a field agent." I tell him. "Now I have to go into the Animus so…" I motion him to get out of my way and he reluctantly does so.

I open the door to the room with the Animus. My sister is already there typing away at her computer. I see a small black chat box on her computer as she types in it wildly. I approach her and she exits the chat box and turns to me. "Ready for Andre?" she asks. I am taken aback by her comment, surprised that she is pushing me towards the Animus after so much retaliation for the past few days. I simply nod at her and she types on her computer, preparing the sequence.

I lie down in the Animus and look up at the ceiling trying to calm myself before entering the memories. "your heartrate is at 106. Are you sure you are up for this?" She asks, looking back at me.

"Just play the memory." I tell her.

She sighs and types on her computer. I close my eyes and soon, my body slips.

 _Andre walked the halls of the church with pride in his stride. The Templar had led his brothers down the aisle towards His Holiness. The Knight looked up at Pope Innocent II as the man bestowed a sense of admiration to the Templar Knight. His threats had worked and Andre was standing before the Pope. The Templars had land, coin, sons of noble birth, and now, they came to the Pope to be issued the papal bull._

 _Andre had approached the Pope and after their Hail Mary, the Pope presented the Knight with the scroll. Andre bowed before the Pope as he bestowed the Omne Datum Optimum, exonerating the Knights from all authority except that of His Holiness. Andre smiled as the Pope handed the scroll to him. He had looked upon his brothers to see that their deeds had brought them to this point in their Order. God was pleased with their actions and He had awarded them richly._

 _Pope Innocent II looked down on the Templar and with pride swelling in his tone he announced to the crowd "Arise the Knights Templar. The Supreme Order of Christ!" The Pope looked into Andre's eyes and said "May the Father of Understanding Guide You."_

I inhale deeply as I spring out of the Animus. I am sweaty and my throat is sore from lack of hydration. I look around the room and see my sister slumped over the computer. She has fallen asleep at her desk and she rests her head against the table next to her keyboard.

I leave the Animus and walk over to my sister. I move her head from the table and wheel her away from the computer. I take her down the hall and to our two-bedroom suite. When I get her to her room, I take off her shoes, jeans, and jacket. I lift her from her chair and into her bed. She is not too disturbed by my moving her, and I am able to place her in bed and cover her up without waking her. I move her chair close enough to her bed so she can get into it herself when she wakes up.

I watch her for a while as she sleeps. She seems so peaceful and happy in this moment. I think about how positive she is, even though she got dealt the shitty end of the stick. Even in her condition, she was able to go to college, get her degree, make friends, smile and stay positive every day. Meanwhile I focused on staying at the compound and training with Rizzo and Dr Sung, preparing my mind for the Animus so I could be a better use to the Templars. I often wonder how our lives would have been different if the roles were reversed. Would I be as positive as she is?

I swallow hard at the thought and get up to leave the room. I hear my sister moan and when I turn towards her she sleepily says, "I love you."

"I love you too." I say to her in a sad tone as I close the door behind me. I wipe a tear from my eyes as I walk down the hall to my own room. I frown when I see that Juhani is not here waiting for me. I figure that my attitude pushed him away today and I tell myself that I have to be a better person towards him. He has a lot on his plate with his daughter. That was one of the first reasons we fell for each other so much; we both take care of those we love.

I lie down in my bed and give myself a moment to decompress. I empty my mind of everything that is haunting it, and once I am clear of all thought, I fall into a deep sleep.

 _Andre stood before his fellow nights as the skies had opened, raining down on them. God was weeping. Andre had thought as they stood before the grave of their Grand Master Hugues de Payens. A monk spoke of the man's great legacy in which he left for his fellow Knights. Andre thought of how none of this would have been possible if not for the dedication of his great master._

 _The Knight took the blade of his Master and placed it upon his body. He moved his hands so the master would have a blade to defend the gates of Heaven with. Andre believed De Paynes would be the greatest soldier God would need._

 _Andre stepped from the Grand Master and took hold of his own blade. He held the blade before him as he watched the man descend into the earth._

 _Andre looked over at his brother Robert de Craon who returned his gaze with a knowing smile. Andre felt a feeling of dread overcome him as he looked upon his brother on this sorrowful day._

Unable to sleep for long, I wake up early and make my sister some breakfast. I make pancakes for her and even take the time to create a smiley face out of some fruit. I take it to her room and see that she is still asleep.

"Lilly wake up!" I yell hysterically, "The building is on fire!"

"Wha?" She exclaims lifting her head from the covers. She looks around the room frantically and when she sees all is fine she throws a pillow at me. "You're such an ass." She groans shoving her face back into the pillow.

"I made you breakfast, Princess." I say in a patronizing tone.

She peers through the covers and sees the tray of pancakes and orange juice. She smiles at me and I help lift her into a sitting position in her bed. I place the tray on her lap and she smiles down at the stack of pancakes. "What is this for?" She asks me.

"For putting up with me." I say sitting on the edge of her bed.

"Oh, you're going to have to make more pancakes then." She jests. She cuts into the pancakes with her fork when her face wrinkles in disgust.

"What is it?" I ask her.

"They're undercooked."

"What do you mean they're undercooked?" I ask in an offended tone. She points at the stack of pancakes as the mix pours out of the fully cooked outside like a lava cake. "I don't get it. On the outside they looked finished."

"Did you put the stove on the highest heat setting?" She asks taking the orange juice instead.

"Well yeah, I wanted them to be done faster." I say and she rolls her eyes.

"The orange juice is good." She says with a laugh.

"That came out of a carton." I say begrudgingly.

"I guess it's the thought that counts, right?" she laughs and I find myself doing the same.

I look around the room while she drinks the orange juice when my eyes lock on her chess set that sits on her dresser. "God you still have that?" I ask her as I get up and look at the old game.

"It's the only thing I have left of Mom and Dad." She says with a sad smile.

I look back at her and return the same sad smile. I return to the chess board and look at it curiously. The game was made from glass and every piece was intricately designed by a glass blower that our father commissioned to create us a design that was one of a kind. "There is a piece missing." I say to her and she opens her mouth to explain when my phone rings. "hold on," I tell her as I take the call. "Yeah, what is it?" Juhani asks me where I am and I tell him that I am in my sister's room. He tells me to come downstairs and I tell him that I am on my way.

I help my sister get dressed and we head downstairs where Alan has a select few people lined together for an announcement. He motions my sister and I through the glass door to come inside as well. My heart races as I have never been inside one of these meetings and always wondered what went on in here.

"Good morning everyone," He begins. "I have brought you all here today with some very exciting news. Each and every one of you from this day forward are no longer just another Templar. Through your elite skills and dedication to the Order you all stand before me, now Master Templars of the Inner Sanctum." I look over at Juhani with wide eyes and he shoots me a sly smile. I look down at his arm to see that it is bruised from the transmitter injection, and I figure that is where he was last night. Alan had Lilly and I implanted years ago and makes sense why he wouldn't have us injected with the transmitter. "From here forth, you all will represent the Order and all it stands for. Together we will bring forth a new era of Knights. We will bring forth a new age of knowledge and power."

He takes out a Templar sword that has been passed down from the generations. I look at the sword and when I do I see Andre standing holding the same sword with his head bowed. I stagger back and a few people look over at me. I begin sweating and feeling myself getting hot. I begin to breathe heavily looking around the room. Everyone's face is blurred and I can no longer see their facial features. I swallow hard, feeling myself getting faint. I look over at Alan and I see Pope Innocent II standing in his place. I look around the room and everyone has turned into the Knights Templar. My heart is beating in my ears and all I can hear is its deafening sound.

I suddenly feel something grab my hand. I look over to see who is grabbing my hand to see that it is Daniel of all people. I look into his eyes with a hateful gaze but he returns it with a concerned one. He squeezes my hand tighter, practically breaking it, and the pain makes my vision begin to focus and I gain my hearing once more. I take a few breaths and I am suddenly feeling myself again. Daniel lets go of me, and I cradle my hand with the other. I look up at him with a confused look and he simply looks away from me, tightening his jaw and posture as he brings his attention back to Alan's speech.

I no longer listen to Alan and I simply watch Daniel as he stands straight and still, keeping his gaze away from me. I know that Daniel can feel my gaze on him, but he does not return it. When Alan is finished, he dismisses us all. Juhani approaches me but I ask him to escort my sister to the Animus room while I ask Alan something. I tell him that I will meet him there and he nods his head and meets with my sister. I turn to find Daniel. I grab him by the collar of his shirt and push him to a corner of the room once everyone has left the room. "What the fuck was that?" I ask him lowly and he just smiles at me.

"It's getting to you pretty hard." He says amused. "Took years for my brain to get to that point of deterioration." He chuckles, "Sung and Rikkin thought they were so clever having you go through intensive therapy before entering the Animus. They really thought that it would stop you from ending up like me. But it didn't work, and now look at you." I look at him with furious eyes and his expression turns from amused to stern. "You were having an episode. You were going to expose yourself in front of Alan and all of the Templars. I was doing you a favor. You're welcome." he says lowly.

"I am not like you." I say pointing in his face. "I am not insane." I say with as much hate in my voice as I can conjure.

"Is that right, baby?" he says in a condescending tone. "You can see him; your ancestor." He says with narrowed eyes stepping towards me, making me back away from him. "I can see it in your eyes. The way you look around frantically. Trust me I know what you're going through."

"I am not turning into you." I say lowly. "I can handle it."

"So could I." he says bitterly and I swallow hard. "Listen to me," He says in a softer tone. "You want to get Bill? You're not going to get to him if Alan thinks you're unstable. You need to get your shit together and concentrate on keeping your mind your own." He pulls something out of his pocket and forces it into my hands. I look at it and see that it is a bottle of pills. "Here," he says closing my fingers over the pills. "These will help."

I look down at the bottle of pills that he hands me, his name written on the prescription. "What about you?" I look up at him.

"I'll just tell Sung that I dropped them in the toilet or something and get some more. That way you don't have to see her and risk her telling Alan about you."

"Why are you doing this?" I ask him suspiciously, "Why are you helping me?"

"Because no one helped me." He says in a pressed tone. He looks down at me with a frown, then walks away from me, leaving me in the room cradling the bottle of pills.

I hide the bottle of pills in my nightstand and make my way to the Animus room. I enter the room where Juhani and my sister are laughing. When I enter, they stop and look at me. "What did you ask Alan?" Juhani asks.

"I…uh…" I scratch my head, thinking of something to say. "I just asked him about William, and if we have any other information on him." I lie.

"Do we have anything?" Juhani asks.

"No," I say simply. I look over at the Animus and for the first time I fear it. Daniel is right; my mind is no longer becoming my own, and the more I enter the Animus, the more I find myself slipping from my own sanity. "Shall we?" I ask, not sounding too enthusiastic to enter the Animus.

"I guess I will leave you two to it." Juhani says with a smile. He approaches me subtly and whispers, "Will I see you tonight?"

I look over at my sister who quickly moves her attention to her computer. I know that Lilly knows about Juhani and I being intimate, but she has never specifically asked about our relationship, or told me that she knows about it. I try not to bring things like that up since she doesn't have much opportunity to be intimate with a man since she stays at her desk all day. She has done well to keep the relationship between Juhani and I a secret from Alan, since if he found out, he would probably remove Juhani from the Order.

"Yes," I say quietly looking back at Juhani. He smiles at me and nods subtly. He leaves the room and I sit down on the Animus. I wait for a moment to lay down while Lilly is trying not to look at me, using her typing on her computer as an excuse to keep her eyes at bay. I sit and watch Lilly for a while as she types on her computer. Her eyes finally meet mine when she feels my gaze.

"I don't care, Mila" she says finally. "I have known about you two since it started. I don't care."

"I just feel guilty." I say sadly.

"Why?" She asks.

"Because you don't get the same opportunities as I have."

"You think that because I am in a wheelchair that I cannot have sex?" She says in a slightly annoyed tone. "That is a very ignorant misconception."

"When have you had sex, Lilly?" I ask in a protective tone.

"Unlike you, Mila," She says in a pressed tone, "I went to college."

I feel myself getting red hot with a protective nature, "Lilly, what the hell?" I yell at her.

"You should get in the Animus, we are looking for something." She says in a serious tone, unwilling to indulge on this new discovery.

"This discussion is not over." I tell her as I lie down.

"Yes, it is," she says in a sad tone and I wonder what it must have been like for her to react in the way that she is.

I look up at the ceiling of the room and take a deep breath. I hear Lilly's voice, but I cannot make out what she says as I fall into the memories of my ancestor.

 _The men had gathered in the temple as a commotion had erupted amongst them all. Robert had watched Andre with piercing eyes while the men shouted between them. Some yelled that Andre was the rightful Grand Master while others claimed that it was Robert that De Paynes elected take his place. Andre was appointed second in command of De Paynes and it was his time to take the position of Grand Master, but what he had not understood was the Master naming Robert his successor in his dying breath. Andre had wondered if he had offended the Master in some way before his passing._

 _"_ _It was the Master's wish that Robert succeeded him." Bernard de Tramelay said as he sent Andre a scowl._

 _"_ _Have you all forgotten that it was Andre who left his life as seneschal and sacrificed his own coin to see us rise where we are." Everard des Barres pressed for Andre._

 _"_ _We shall not let this break us!" Bertrand de Blanchefort silenced the room. "We shall bring it to a vote." He had looked around the room, into the eyes of every brother. "Those for Andre?" he asked and few brothers had lifted their hands to his cause. Andre had exhaled. "Those for Robert?" He asked and the majority had lifted their hands. Andre had looked at every man who did not cast their vote to him and remembered their faces in that moment of loathing towards his brothers._

 _"_ _So it is." Robert lifted himself from his seat. "Brother." He had said, bowing at Andre, leaving the temple._

"Mila wake up." My eyes adjust and I see my sister leaning into me.

"What's going on?" I ask holding my head together so it doesn't split open. I look at my sister and she has a worried look in her eyes. "What is it?" I ask her, not wanting her to tell me something horrible is happening to me.

"It's Daniel," she says.

"What about Daniel?" I ask as I sit up. I look in the doorway and see Daniel leaning up against the doorframe with his arms crossed. "What is going on?" I ask in a frustrated tone.

"You're coming with me." He says in a grumbled tone. "We're going on a mission."

"Are you joking?" I ask with confusion.

"Desmond is heading to Brazil for an artifact. We are going to intercept him." My heart races and I feel myself filling with anticipation.

"When are we going?" I ask him.

"Now. He is ahead of us, so we need to be fast."

I jump from the Animus and head over to him. I look back at my sister who smiles an unenthusiastic smile. "Don't worry Lilly, we will get him." I say to her and she looks away from me and goes back to typing on her computer.

I look up at Daniel, and with a smile I say, "Let's go."


	3. Betrayal

**Hope you all are enjoying the story so far and like where it is headed!**

* * *

 **Betrayal**

I bounce my leg nervously while I sit on the flight anticipating the exchange that I am soon to have with the son of the man who killed my parents. My hands shake and my legs bounce uncontrollably as I look out the window of the airplane. I feel something grab me and I look down at my lap to see Daniel's hand on my leg. I shoot him a threatening gaze and he returns with a chuckle.

"Relax." He says simply, taking his hands off of me. "You're going to misbalance the plane with your fidgeting legs." He jokes. I look away from him and back outside onto the city that we are about to descend upon. "I guess I should debrief you." He says shifting in his seat and getting closer to me. He leans towards me, pulling out the brief case from below his seat. His presence making me recoil in discomfort. "This mission is simple." He opens it up and hands me a photo of a glowing blue cube. "It's a precursor power source. Desmond and his crew are looking for it to power up some ancient temple. We have intel that a woman is in possession of this power source in Brazil. Desmond is already on his way." Daniel hands me a photo of what looks like a police officer. "Abstergo has paid off the local security to turn a blind eye to us, and aid in the capture of Desmond Miles. You see a guy wearing this outfit, he is on our side. We couldn't buy the local police, so if they get involved, we're all fucked." He says harshly. "We take the power source, we take Desmond." He says simply. "Once we have Desmond, we ransom him for the Apple."

"And for William." I butt in.

"Right," He continues. "Bill will most likely do the trade. Once the Apple is securely in our possession, you have your way with Bill, and we kill them both."

I look in his briefcase and see a photo of William popping out from under a stack of papers. I reach for the photo and Daniel watches me closely as I examine the photo. It is my first time seeing his face since the night that he took my father's life. He hasn't aged very well. "What is he like?" I ask Daniel still fixated on the photo of William.

"Bill?" Daniel asks in a hoarse tone. I nod and he sighs. "He's a hard ass." He says and I look up at him. "He trained me momentarily when I was under the Assassins." Daniel smiles at the memory. "He was a skilled fighter, and you could tell that in his youth, he was a force to be reckoned with." Daniel sighs, "he expected a lot from me. He wanted me to be the best version of myself that I could be; didn't want to hear any of my bullshit." Daniel looks up at me with an ice-cold stare. "He was like a father to me in those brief moments, until I betrayed him."

I hand him back the photo of William. "He will regret the day he killed my father."

"Why are you so hell bent on killing William?" I look at him with a confused glare and he reiterates, "This is war. Everyone dies. If we went around seeking vengeance for those who killed our loved ones, there wouldn't be anyone left to kill." He says coldly.

"I am doing this for my sister. What he let happen to her…" I trail off thinking of the night and seeing the blood-soaked dress.

"What if that's not what she wants." Daniel asks and I am pulled away from my vision of my sister. I ask him what he means by that and he scoffs. "Your sister and I talked about it. She said that she doesn't want Bill dead. She doesn't blame him for what happened."

"What?" I let out.

He continues "She said that she doesn't want him dead. That she forgave him for what happened to her."

"You're lying," I say to him in a low tone.

"Have you ever even talked to her about this?" He asks in an amused tone. "Lilly is nothing like us. This lifestyle doesn't suit her well. She cares too much. She cares too much about people's lives." He shakes his head and says, "You can justify killing William all you want, but it's because it's for your own selfish desires, not because of your sister. Embrace it and stop using your sister as a copout to clean your conscious of it"

"You don't know anything about her." I say lowly.

"Do you?" he returns with the same tone.

I stare at him, trying to think of something to say. I cannot find the words to express the hatred I have for him for making me feel this way, and I turn away from him so he doesn't see the tears that form in my eyes.

I look out the window of the airplane and watch as we descend onto the town, my leg beginning to shake with anticipation.

Once we land, we get into a cab that takes us to our Templar headquarters where we will be provided with the proper guns and ammo for the mission. We meet up with two other Templars who warn us a soccer tournament is going on and that the streets will be riddled with people and police. We thank them for the information and make our way downtown.

I see in the corner of my eyes that Daniel watches me carefully. I try not to bring my eyes to him, but I eventually just look up at him. He looks at me with cold eyes, then finally says, "If you feel the voices coming on, or if you see anything—"

"Don't worry," I stop him before he can finish. "You're as big of a liability towards this mission as I am." The comment makes his gaze grow even colder.

"Just tell me if you feel an episode, and I will do the same."

"You got it, Boss." I say in a condescending tone.

He sighs then says, "Intel is that some millionaire's young broad has the power source on her. She is located in the VIP section." He says approaching the subway.

"How are we supposed to get to her?" I ask him.

"The security guards that Abstergo have paid off will turn a blind eye while we enter the VIP section. We will be able to get close enough to her, then…" He trails off and pulls open the flap of his jacket, exposing his gun.

"Where's mine?" I ask in a low tone.

"Sorry, Grand Masters only."

"Excuse me," I say stopping my stride and he does the same. "I am a Grand Master now. Alan said so in the meeting."

Daniel chuckles, "You really think he brought you and Lilly in there to make you two Grand Masters?" He shakes his head, "Did you even hear what he was saying?" He laughs again, "Oh that's right, you were having a psychotic break, so you didn't hear his speech."

"Just get on with it." I say, not appreciating his berating me.

"Alan said that you were to be our back up. He was planning on having you two work behind the comfort of your desk, in our ears, protecting us. He doesn't think you have what it takes to be a field agent."

"Then why am I here, on the field, with you?" I ask him in a pressed tone.

"Because Rikkin doesn't know you're here."

"What?" I say staggering away from him, suddenly fearing for my life.

"You wanted William," he says simply, pushing past me with his shoulder. "You're not going to get him behind a desk."

I stand there frozen for a moment wondering why Daniel is helping me get to William. Why would he lie to Alan and have me secretly join him in a field mission just so I can get to William? What does Daniel have to gain in assisting me?

I turn and pick up my stride to reach him. We enter a crowded subway and I am pushed to the corner of the subway. Daniel and I stand next to each other as we are pressed closely together by the crowd. I look up at Daniel as I am closer to him then I have ever been before. I feel his breath on my face as I watch his expression. He looks down at me with a bored look on his face. I examine his face, from his rigid icy blue eyes, to his curved lips. He stares back at me; his gaze is too powerful for me to hold and I look down at his feet. I hear him chuckle slightly and I wonder if he laughs at my inability to hold his gaze.

I look back up at him and I reel away from him when I see Andre stand before me. "What's wrong?" Andre asks me.

"You're not real." I whisper, closing my eyes, wishing him away.

"Oh, but I am." He says and when I open my eyes, he and I are the only two in the subway.

"Leave me alone." I say in a threatening tone.

"Are you going to find it?" He asks me with a smile, his brown eyes piercing through me.

"Find what?" I ask him.

"The artifact. It is what you seek from me." He says cocking his head to the side. "Are you to find it? Or will your mind break before you do?" He brushes my cheek and I push him away from me.

"You're not real. You're not here."

"If I am not real, but you see me, does that not make you mad?" He smiles and begins laughing.

I hold my hands up to my ears, closing my eyes, trying to silence his voice. "Stop!" I yell, "Stop laughing!"

"Hey baby, it's okay, calm down!" I open my eyes to see Daniel looking at me, pretending to be a concerned boyfriend while spectators watch us with concerned eyes.

I look at the men and women around me, then at Daniel. He gives me a concerned look, but his eyes soften when he sees that I am in control again.

"Miss, are you safe?" A man asks me in a thick Brazilian accent.

I swallow hard. "Yes, sorry." I look up at Daniel whose jaw clenches tightly as he looks worried for me. I look down, unable to see the look in his eyes that paints just how forgone I have become.

"Look at me," he demands from me and after a moment of refusal, I look up at him. "Are you alright?" He asks pressing his brows together with the most concern in his eyes that I have ever seen from him.

"I'm fine," I lie to him. I look around the subway to see all the concerned looks on everyone's faces as they watch me carefully. I wonder how big of a scene I must have created in order for everyone to look at me the way that they do.

The subway finally comes to a halt and everyone flushes out in the subway station. Daniel looks at me with concerned eyes once more, but I push past him and outside of the subway. He tells me to sit down on a nearby bench and I tell him that I am fine. "I wasn't asking," he says snatching me forcefully by the elbow and sitting me down on a nearby bench.

"Daniel, I am fine." I press him as he forces me to sit.

"Are you fucking kidding me?" He says under his breath. "You are _not_ fine." He says lowly. "You had a complete psychotic break in the subway. You were screaming and thrashing. What the hell did you see?" he says with a stern, yet worried tone.

"Nothing… I" I trail off, not wanting to tell him that I saw Andre, and that he spoke to me, but I can see it in his eyes that he already knows this happened. "I am sorry, Daniel. I can handle it. I can get it together, for the mission."

He looks at me with sad eyes, "I am sorry, Amelia, but it's for your own good." He says and before I can ask him what he means by that, he uses zip cuffs to tie me to the bench he sat me on.

He stands up and I am forced down by the ties. "Daniel, what are you doing? "I ask in a pressed tone. I look down at the cuff, then back at him. "Daniel, let me out of this."

"I will," he says backing away from me. "After I get Desmond and that power source."

"Daniel!" I yell in the station.

"I am sorry," he says truly remorseful, "I can't have you messing with the mission." He turns around and leaves me on the bench. I yell out his name a few more times but he does not turn around, and no one offers to help me.

I sit on the bench for a moment, trying to get out of the cuffs and catch up to Daniel. I am fuming with hatred, and I cannot believe that he actually left me here alone and tied to a bench. After a moment of struggling, I remember that I have a knife in my boot. Daniel tied both of my hands down together, so I have to move my leg to reach the blade in my boot. I strain to reach for my boot due to the angle that I am in, and after a moment of struggling, I am able to pull out the knife.

I begin to cut the military grade zip tie, when another subway comes and another group of people floods into the check in area. I look onto the crowd when my eyes catch a man in a white hooded jacket. My heart stops as he looks around cautiously in the tunnel. _Desmond Miles_. I think to myself.

He is so conspicuous in his hood, trying to hide his face from any Abstergo surveillance. I see his lips moving and I figure that he must have an earpiece on him and must be speaking with his father. My heart races at the idea and I begin to feel myself get overwhelmed at the thought of being one step closer to killing William.

I begin to cut frantically at my restraints while keeping my eyes on Desmond the whole time. He slips through security and just as he does, I feel myself slice at my wrist. I wince in pain as I begin to bleed. I hold my wrist tightly as I go after Desmond.

One of the guards tries to stop me from entering the gate and asks for my ticket. When I tell him that I don't have a ticket he looks at me, and once he realizes that I am with Abstergo, he lets me through with no other issues. I run down the hall towards the VIP section. I encounter another group of guards who let me in the same way the first did. As I walk down the hall, I hear a series of gunshots being fired. Instinctually, I press myself to the wall and hide behind the corner. I watch as Daniel throws his gun at Desmond and runs away from him down the hall. _Why the hell is he running_ away _from Desmond?_ I think to myself as I watch the altercation.

Desmond runs after Daniel since he has the power source. I approach the woman on the floor who Daniel killed. I see his gun next to her and I pick it up. I check to see that it is still loaded, but simply jammed. I wonder why Daniel threw his gun at Desmond, rather than unjamming it, and shooting him, and I start to wonder if Daniel is of his right mind.

I take the gun as my own and follow Desmond and Daniel down the hall and into the courtyard. I watch as they begin a fistfight in the courtyard. I watch as Desmond repeatedly gains the upper hand on Daniel in the fight. I have seen Daniel multiple times fighting both Rizzo and Juhani, and both times, Daniel has bested the two. Daniel is one of the most skilled fighters I have ever seen, however, as I watch him fighting Desmond, I see that he is sloppy and disorientated in his fighting. I can tell now that he must be having an episode and I have to get to him as soon as I can.

Eventually Desmond gains the upper hand and knocks Daniel down on the ground. Desmond stands there, looking at Daniel for a moment, checking his vitals. I point my gun at Desmond and try to get a clear shot at him, but I can't. I approach the scene when Desmond begins running off. I chase after Desmond but stop when I see Daniel is not moving or breathing. I look over at Desmond, and I know that I can catch him and end this all right here, but I look back down at Daniel and see that he will die if he does not get attention quickly.

I look back at Desmond and bite my lip, torn between what to do. I groan and curse as I turn to Daniel and move him thinking that he might have had a heart attack, while letting Desmond get away. "Daniel can you hear me?" I ask him but he doesn't respond to me. "Daniel!" I yell. I can hear the sirens of the local police and I hear Daniel's voice telling me that we are fucked if the police get to us. "Daniel!" I yell at him, "Daniel look at me, breathe!"

I begin performing CPR on Daniel, pressing my palms to his chest. Strands of my hair fall in front of my face and I try to blow them away. "Daniel, please…" I beg, "Please breathe, Daniel. Please!" I press harder to his chest but he is still unresponsive. "Breathe, god damn it!" I yell at him. "Please, Daniel, Breathe!" I stop pressing on his chest and close his nose. I pry open his jaw and press my lips to his. I breathe into his mouth three breaths, then continue to press on his chest. I go back to his lips, pressing mine against his and breathing into him again. I feel his body move and I pull away as he comes to consciousness and begins coughing. I exhale with relief.

He looks up at me with his brows tangled in confusion. He looks towards the road and I frown at him, "He's gone." I tell him, "He got away." I say in a defeated tone.

Daniel looks sad as he watches the disappointment in my expression. He looks at me, deeply in my eyes with genuine sadness in them. He moves his arm and takes my face with his hand. He places his hand to my cheek and brushes it with his thumb. He lays there, watching me for a moment as his icy blue eyes captivate me. He moves his hand to the back of my neck and looks at me with a soft gaze. His eyes shift from my eyes to my lips and my heart begins racing. I know what he is thinking, but I don't think he will do it. But after a moment of contemplating and reading my expression, he lifts his head from the ground while pulling my head down closer to him with his hand. He waits for a moment, waiting for me to retaliate or something, and when I do not, he presses his lips against mine. At first his lips are hard and unwelcoming, as well as mine, from the shock of the gesture.

He softens his lips and as he does, I do mine as well. I let him kiss me and grab the fabric of his collar as he inhales deeply, taking in my scent. He moves his head to get a better angle and kiss me better. I welcome his lips on mine and allow him to kiss me harder. He glides his tongue into my mouth and moans as I except his advancement. His hands begin to explore my body as he brings his hand from the back of my neck, down to the small of my back, giving me shivers down my spine. I feel an excitement overcome me while kissing him, and I enjoy his advances more than I would like to admit. He grabs my hips, trying to move me completely on top of him. I begin to welcome the gesture when I think of Juhani. I see his face and think of the hurt he would feel if he knew I was doing this with Daniel. I pull away from Daniel at the thought and yell, "No!"

I look down at him and watch as the expression on his face changes not to anger, but to disappointment. He separates his lips as if to say something to me, but when he reads my features he looks away. He pushes himself off of the ground, picking up his gun, and walking towards the street. Leaving me alone in the courtyard.

The entire flight back to Abstergo is a long and awkward one, as Daniel refuses to speak to me, let alone look at me. I can tell that his ego is broken at the idea that I refused him. I know that Daniel is unaware of mine and Juhani's relationship, but I am sure that he suspects something might have happened between us. Whatever his thoughts are on the situation, I can tell that Daniel is hurt that I refused him and he is unable to interact with me.

I think about coming back to Abstergo empty handed and how this will not bode well for me in convincing Alan that I can handle future field missions. I imagine that Daniel will tell Alan that I had an episode out of spite that I did not continue our kiss together. I know that Daniel is hurt by my rejection of him, but it was easier for me to refuse him than to admit to myself that I enjoyed his touch.

We return to Abstergo and I look up at the utter look of hatred that fills Alan's expression when he sees us enter the lobby. "Mister Cross." He calls out and Daniel looks up at him. "My office." He simply says as Warren follows Alan into his office.

Daniel begins walking towards the stairs when I grab for him. "Daniel…" I call out but he slips his hand out of my grip and heads up the stairs. I swallow hard as I watch him enter Alan's office, surely telling him that we failed the mission due to my having an episode on the field. The thought makes me nauseous and I leave the lobby to go to my room and wash myself of this guilt.

I unlock the door to my suite when I see my sister wheel herself to the door. I see the look of worry in her eyes and I begin to cry. I fall to my knees and place my head on her lap. Her arms wrap around my head and I begin sobbing in her lap. "I had him, Lil. I had him and I let him go." I cry. "I am so sorry. I failed." She does not say anything in return and she lets me sob in her lap at my failed mission.

I don't get to spend much time with my sister, however, as I am soon called into Alan's office shortly after Daniel. When I enter his office, Alan is sitting at his desk while Warren stands behind him with his arms behind his back. Warren greets me with a wide smile while Alan keeps his head down, not looking from his computer. "Sit," he says in a pressed tone without looking at me.

I sit down in the chair adjacent from him, placing my hands on my lap and my head down, unable to look at him.

He continues to type on his computer for a few more moments and I see in the corner of my eyes that Warren tries to sneak a peek at what Alan is typing but is unable to see what is being said due to his location.

Finally, Alan stops typing and looks up at me with furious eyes. I drop my head again, unable to look at him like this. I always feared him when he looked at me that way. "What were you thinking?" He finally asks in a calmer tone. I inhale, but I do not say anything to him. "Child," he says to me and I look at him with teary eyes, "sweet girl," Alan responds with a sad tone, "This is not the way we go about business here." I nod once and look back down at my lap.

"I know," I finally say in a hoarse tone. I clear my throat and continue. "I am sorry I disappointed you."

"Daniel did tell us that you performed well on the field." Warren begins and I look at him bringing my brows together in confusion. "He tells us that the mission failed do to his suffering the Bleeding Effect, and that you performed well under pressure. He explains that had you not been there, he would have succumbed to the heart attack." I swallow hard at the compliment. "He went on to tell us that you were focused, clear headed, and performed well under pressure; he had nothing but positive things to say regarding your performance on the field."

I look at Warren with a shocked and confused look on my face and Alan catches onto the gaze. "Do you not agree with Daniel's recollection of the mission?" he says in a suspicious tone.

"Uh…" I swallow hard, "No of course. It's just…" I think for a moment, wondering why Daniel would lie about my episode as well as inform them that I saved his life after I refused him. "Daniel and I have never meshed well." I finally say. "He has always been jealous of my ability to enter the Animus unaffected by the Bleeding Effect." But this was no longer true. Daniel hated me for the attention Rizzo and Sung gave me to ensure that I would be mentally and physically prepared for the effects of prolonged states in the Animus. Though it worked while I searched my ancestry for valuable Templar ancestors, I became entrapped when I found Andre and his ancestry. Now I have become as unable as Daniel.

"Whatever the case," Alan continues, "Daniel ensured that you performed as any field agent would." He frowns, "as much as we would love to have these talents on the field, it is imperative that you continue your work with Andre and the artifact." I clench my jaw and Warren takes a step away from Alan, not agreeing with this decision either. "I understand that you wish to join the ranks of the field agents, and trust me, child, you will in due time. Once you have secured the location of the artifact that Montbard carried. Then you will have all that you desire."

"I…" I struggle on my words as they lump in my throat. I swallow hard, trying to gather myself. "I don't understand." I say, "I performed well, why am I not considered a field agent?" I feel myself getting hotter and I take a deep breath, trying to calm myself. "Violet da Costa is a field agent and she hasn't been training as long as I have." I say angrily. I bring my hands into tight fists. "I don't understand what I have to do to get your approval." I say looking up at him with teary eyes. "I trained my ass off to unlock Andre's memories, I am searching them for the artifact. I am doing everything you asked of me. I went on the mission with Daniel, and despite that being against your knowledge, I performed well—"

"You failed." He says cutting me off. "You are a failure." I look at Warren with teary eyes and his uncomfortable posture shows me that I did hear Alan correctly. "You've failed at staying in the Animus for as long as we have estimated you can be under for, you failed at finding the artifact, and here you sit before me failed in your attempt on Desmond and the power source." He says harshly. "We had the same conversation with Daniel. You two; 'trained Templars' were bested by an untrained Assassin and failed to apprehend him. You have done nothing but fail at everything I have given to you. Do you really believe that I would hand a mission as important as the retrieval of the Miles men to you?" I look away from him as the hot tears fall from my face. "Daniel has proven that he is no longer the agent we knew him as, and it was a mistake on my part to entrust him with this mission. He was reckless in involving you, and look where it led you two." He shakes his head and I continue to keep my eyes on my lap. "Now the Assassins are one step closer to powering the Temple and it is because of your failure!" He says raising his voice. "You have been nothing but a disappointment." He spits. "If you want William, you will have to earn him. You get me that artifact and you get William. If you don't find it, then you will fail in another quest of yours." I inhale an uneven breath. "Now get out. I cannot look unto you anymore."

I get out of the chair and without saying another word to either of them, I leave the office. Once I am down the hall, I let out the built-up anger inside me. I punch the wall and let out a shout. I look at my fist as I pull it out of the wall, pieces of drywall crumbling from my fists. I feel something by my ear and I tense at the feeling. "Is that better?" I hear someone whisper in my ear. I look behind me and there is no one around me, but I know that the voice belonged to Andre. I swallow hard at the thought and make my way to the Animus.

When I enter the room with the Animus, I see that my sister and Juhani are not in the room. I log onto the computer and pull up the program to ready the Animus. I type in the necessary components and sit down on the Animus. If it is the artifact that Alan wants, I will get it for him. As long as it helps me get William.


	4. Family Blood

**Family Blood**

 _Andre wore his armor proudly as he stood before his brothers, ready to march onto battle. Andre's blade had thirst for blood as he stood with the armies of King Louis VII. He ached to take the lives of the heretic Seljuq Turks. It would be with his blade that he would deliver them to the fires of hell for denouncing the one true sovereign and Lord. Andre tensed when his brother Robert had addressed the crowd. He rallied the men against the Turks in their second taking of the crusade._

 _Andre had watched his brother as he called out to the other Templars, informing them how to strike their opponents. Andre had resented his words to his brothers. Robert was a fool and a child. He knew nothing of war tactics. Robert had led the Templars to countless defeats and he suggested another as they take the city of Lisbon by sea. Andre had known as well as many other Templars that their naval fleet did not match that of Lisbon. Andre knew the plan folly. Their men were weak from Battle, and their spirits were crushed by their defeat with Zengi. It was but a matter of time before they would fall again. Andre did not want to see his deeds come to an end at the command of a child._

 _Robert demanded the ship set anchor as smaller boats enter the shores of Lisbon under the cover of fog. Andre had been forced by Robert to stay on the ship while they took the city under the first siege. Once the Templars had entered the city, Andre and the others were to join their brothers in battle. Andre watched as his brothers left for the city; Robert had given him a cold glare, before he took cover in the fog towards the city._

 _Andre turned from his brothers and had entered a small boat of his own. He took with the same cover of fog and paddled away from his post. Despite the thick fog that Andre had to navigate through, he had known exactly where his target was. Andre approached a large ship concealing itself behind one of the islands off of the main coast. Andre had approached the foreign ship, and once he had approached the stern, a rope was thrown for him to rise onto the ship._

 _Andre lifted himself onto the ship where he had been greeted by five Assassin men waiting for him. Two of the men raised their swords to him and Andre held his blade by his waist, ready to strike the men._

 _The Assassin Mentor told his men to lower their weapons from Andre and they complied. "Stay your blades," He said, "We are all brothers here."_

 _"_ _I am no brother of yours,_ Heretic _." Andre had spat._

 _A smile crawled up the Assassin's cheek. "Very well," he had said, "would not want to be your brother, all things considering." The Assassin motioned to the stacks of cannon balls on the ship, ready for deployment. "Enough to destroy 100 ships if deployed properly."_

 _Andre had smiled to himself, removing the purse from his belt and tossing it to the Assassin leader. The man caught the bag of coined and bounced it in his palms. "Tell me, Templar. What transgressions did your brothers commit against you, that you would see them sink this night?"_

 _Andre had looked at the man with low eyes. "That is my business, Assassin." Andre said lowly._

 _"_ _Call me what you will." The man said pulling the hood of his cloak. "For in the end we shall all answer to God." The Assassin had moved towards the wheel of the ship to steer them onto the Templars that unsuspectedly waited at the coast of Lisbon. "I wonder what you will say to Him." He had said before steering the ship to her target._

I sit up in the Animus and look around. I see that my sister and Juhani are still nowhere in sight. I look at the computer to see that I have been taken out of the Animus by Lilly's precautionary program that senses when a lifeform is in the Animus and automatically ends the memory before the Bleeding Effect can take form. I realize at this rate I am never going to find Andre's artifact unless I push myself harder in the Animus.

I remove myself from the Animus and sit at the computer as I begin typing. "It is becoming too much for your soul," Andre says behind my back in a menacing tone. "It is almost as if it is too much to bare." My jaw clenches as I continue to type the necessary sequence to reenter the Animus. "I don't think they will quite accept your disobedience in this."

"And did your brothers accept yours?" I swing the chair back looking at him with wild hate. "You were working with the Assassins to kill your brothers; strong faithful Templar men!" I yell at him and he returns with a knowing smile. "Why?" I ask him.

"See for yourself." He says to me, looking past me and at the Animus. I turn from him and continue to type the new sequence. Once I have it, I return to the Animus and lie back down to Andre's memories.

 _Andre had left the Assassin ship and continued back to his own. Andre watched in the distance as the sounds of cannon fire rang out. Andre heard the cries of his brothers as the Templar fleets fell to the hidden Assassin force. Andre rowed his boat towards the shores of Lisbon to find the remainder of his brothers. They approached Andre at the shores with panicked expressions, and he returned the same appearance._

 _"_ _Andre," his brother called to him._

 _"_ _The Assassins," Andre cursed their names. "They have attacked our ships. I but nearly escaped to bring word. We must fight against these heretics."_

 _"_ _What of Lisbon?" Another asked._

 _"_ _We have more pressing enemies to contest." Andre argued._

 _"_ _That is for the Grand Master to decide." His brother hissed._

 _Andre had stiffened at the comment, but returned with a bow of the head. Andre and his brothers had reached the city gates where the remaining Templar Knights had broken through the gates of Lisbon._

 _They approached Robert de Craon as he planned his next move on the city. "Master," Andre had said to the man with hate in his heart, "the Assassins have attacked the shores." He had frantically explained, keeping the façade of fear in his tone. "They have cannon and artillery unmatched by our own. We must fight this threat!"_

 _Robert de Craon looked at Andre with a wrinkle of disgust in his eyes. "And you abandoned your post, your brothers? For what?"_

 _"_ _To warn you." Andre returned with hate. "Brother, we must retreat to our brothers. Hundreds have surely lost their lives already." Andre beseeched him._

 _"_ _We will stand our ground." Robert returned in a harsh tone. Andre looked back at his brother's seeing the shock in their faces at their Master's unwillingness to aid his men. Andre's plan had played out properly._

 _"_ _But they are our brothers." Andre had said loud enough for those listening to hear. "Do their lives not mean more than this victory? We shall return to Lisbon, but the lives of these men is of more import."_

 _Robert had pounced on Andre, pressing his nose to Andre's, his breath was hot on his face as he lowly hissed, "We stand our ground."_

 _Andre had seen the men in his peripheral tense at the sight of the unnerving man. Andre had shoved the Master from his presence. "Very well, tremble here as the coward you are." Andre spat, "I will not watch my brother's die for this failed attempt at your vanity."_

 _"_ _Brothers," Andre called at the men "Join me to send these heretics to their eternal suffering!"_

 _The men had been hesitant at first, not wanting to defy the commands of their Grand Master, but they wanted to aid their brothers more than take the city they knew would not kneel to them._

 _The men began to head towards the shores and Robert had growled out, "If you men make another step to those shores and you will be lashed and crucified before the brotherhood!"_

 _The men, including Andre looked at the Grand Master with shock at his aggressive nature. Andre found his dethronement easier than he had expected. The men did not take the threats of their Grand Master, and they all moved with swords in hand, ready to aid their brothers at sea._

 _Andre had stepped to join them, when Robert grabbed the man by his shoulders. Robert whipped Andre around and laid a punch to the man's cheek. Andre held himself, looking wildly at the man. Robert unsheathed his sword and pointed it at Andre._

 _"_ _Brother, what is the meaning of this?" Andre had said in shock._

 _"_ _Enough of the show, Andre. No one is here to see your performance." Andre lifted himself at his brother's comment and unsheathed his own sword. "de Paynes chose me, Andre." The man said, "You were nothing but a foolish reckless man. De Paynes saw that. That is why he chose me." Robert lunged at Andre, but he had deflected the blow. "Your resentment towards my station has gone on long enough. You wish the title?" He pointed the edge of the blade to Andre's chin. "Then take it." He threatened, and Andre pushed the blade from him._

 _Andre lifted his blade to his opponent. Robert had lunged at him first and Andre deflected his advance. Andre continued to defect his advancements, which had only driven his brother to become angrier and irrational. Andre had worried that his brother was enjoying the fight too much and knew his brother wanted him dead. He knew he had to end this quarrel once and for all._

 _Andre stopped toying with the man and drove his blade into the stomach of his brother. He reveled in pleasure as he watched his brother's face contort in betrayal and pain. He had looked down at his stomach, seeing the blade stained in his own blood. Robert grabbed the sword, and pulled it deeper inside him, pulling Andre closer to him. "Judas!" He called out to the man in shock at the wound._

 _Andre had scoffed. "What does that make you? Jesus? You blaspheme." Andre had said lowly._

 _Andre watched as the red cross of the brotherhood on Robert's robes began to stain dark red with his blood. "You will burn for this Andre!" He cursed._

 _"_ _Say what you will, Brother." Andre had said twisting the blade in his brother's stomach. "It is you who dies this day."_

 _The man scoffed as he fell to his knees. Andre had removed the sword and held his brother as he fell from this world. "You will never lead this order to the Holy Land." He told him. "You will die in vain of your actions. Just as I have." He had said, and before Andre could retaliate, Robert was dead._

I am forced out of the animus by the splitting pain of my head. I feel as though I have been crushed by a semi-truck. Tears fall down from my face at the pain on my head and I lie down on the Animus for a moment, unable to move. After a moment I decide I should not force another session inside the Animus and take a break.

I walk around the compound for a while. Rizzo asks me if I would like to spar with him, but I decline, knowing that my body will give in if I fight. I walk around and watch the recruits spar. My vision blurs and their appearance changes to the Templar recruits that Andre trained. They wear their black robes with the red cross of the Templar Knights. I shake my head and look away from them. I head towards the computer room to do some research on Andre and Robert, and if their fight was documented in history. The more I enter Andre's memories, the more I question if he is the good guy.

I enter the computer room, thinking that I will be alone, when I see Juhani leaning back in a chair casually as he watches the memory playbacks of Ezio Auditore that we gathered from Desmond Miles. "Juhani," I call out to him and he turns towards me. He looks at me with a smile and tells me to join him. "Why are you watching Subject 17's memories?" I ask him.

"I am scanning them for weaknesses." He says looking down at me.

"Weaknesses?" I ask him.

"Yes," he says stiffening, "Just to aid us in getting the Miles men in our possession.

"Find anything?" I ask him as I sit in a chair next to him.

He exhales deeply, "Altair, Ezio, Connor, Edward; they all have the same weakness." He says simply and I implore him to continue. "Love."

"Love?" I ask him.

"It is their love for those closest to them that makes them irrational. They will do anything for those they love. It makes them weak. If we want the upper hand on the Miles men, we will have to use the ones they love against them."

"Doesn't that go for all of us?" I tell him and he looks at me with an inquisitive glance. "We all have our weaknesses. We all have those we love. My sister. She can be used against me in any way. I would do anything to get her back. Same with you and your daughter."

"And with you." Juhani says with a sideways smile and I sheepishly look away from him. He moves towards me and places his hand on my cheek. "I would kill thousands to see you safe." I swallow hard at the comment, thinking of Daniel. I put my head down and he lifts it back up, "You look tired."

"It's been a long day in the Animus."

"Anything interesting?" He asks me.

I think of Andre killing a Grand Master Templar, along with hundreds of his own men with the use of the Assassin forces. I think of Andre and wonder if he defected to the Assassin's Creed. The way his memories are playing, I wouldn't be surprised. The idea that I have Assassin blood inside me churns my stomach.

"No," I finally say, "nothing of import."

He looks at me, then at the computers where he examines Ezio's memories. Finally, he looks back at me and sighs, "how about we take a break. You from the Animus, and me from this."

I smile at him. "I would love a break."

He logs off of the computer, slumps off of his chair to his knees and kneels down before me and places his hands on my thighs; his touch sending a surge throughout my body. "Let's go somewhere." He says simply and I smile at him, nodding eagerly like a child. He smiles and presses his lips to mine. They are soft, warm, and inviting.

I inhale his scent, but before I can get too comfortable with him near me, he pulls away and tells me to meet him in the garage. I smile at him and nod. He gets up off of his knees and leaves the room. I wait a moment, so not to raise suspicion with anyone that might be watching mine and Juhani's actions.

After a moment of waiting, I leave the computer room and head towards the garage. I enter the underground garage where it is hot and humid, with the smell of rust in the air. I look around for Juhani and he approaches me in one of the Abstergo vehicles. I smile at him and open the door. I sit down next to him and he instantly places his hand on my thigh. He drives with one hand while his other stays on me.

Once he exits the parking garage, I realize that it is dark outside, and I wonder how long I must have been inside the Animus. I try not to think of it much and focus on enjoying being the passenger with Juhani. I open my window and place my head against the door. The wind feels amazing on my face, and for the first time in a while, I am at peace.

Juhani places the car in park and I realize that I must have fallen asleep in the car. I look around to see where we are, and we are where we had our first date. It is a secluded wooded lookout that overlooks the water. I look back at him and he smiles at me. He opens the door and takes out a blanket that he places on the ground. I get out of the car and lie down on the blanket and he does the same. I look up at the sky in awe at the stars that shine once removed from the city's pollution. I see the milky way and watch as satellites dance in the sky. I finally turn from the sight and look at Juhani, who has is arms behind his head. He smiles at me, and I press my lips against his. He moans at my action.

I crawl on top of him, straddling him between my thighs, and begin unbuckling his belt as it jingles at my touch. Juhani simply watches me undress him with a slight smile on his lips. I move to his shirt, and he lifts himself up into a sitting position as I remove his blazer and unbutton his dress shirt. He takes my face in his hands and begins kissing me more aggressively. I moan at his frantic touch as the pleasure overcomes him and he rolls on top of me. He removes my jacket and pants quickly and I shake with pleasure at his advancements.

He removes my bra, and grabs my breasts. His hands make his way down my chest and to my waist as he clutches on for leverage. I smile at his advancements as I close my eyes and enjoy the sensation of his touch. I moan in pleasure and he returns the same. Everything seems so quiet out here and all I can hear is Juhani's scattered breaths.

I open my eyes and look unto him, and I almost scream when I no longer see Juhani on top of me, but Daniel instead. He looks at me with a smile curved on his lips. His icy cold eyes pierce into me as his hands explore my body, and his blonde hair falls in front of his sweat-glistened face. I watch as the look of pleasure takes his expression and watch as his hands touch me. I place my hand on his cheek and he kisses my palm. He is so real on top of me. I know that it is not Daniel on top of me, but Juhani, and whether this vision is caused by the Bleeding Effect, or by my recent fascination with Daniel, I can't help but let the vision continue as such. As terrible as it is fantasizing about Daniel while Juhani is on top of me, I cannot help but relish the idea of Daniel on top of me. The idea brings a quiver to my thighs and I cannot help the enlightened pleasure I feel seeing him on top of me, taking over my body. I feel high at his touch, and I throw back my head, shutting my eyes as every nerve in my body bursts into euphoria. My toes curl and my hands clench at the blanket as I exclaim with pleasure. I hear him moan at my voice and his thrust become slow and rough until he falls limp on top of me; both of us breathing heavily at the sensation we experienced together.

I look up at the stars, while he buries his head in my breasts. I run my fingers through his hair and I watch as a shooting star flies across the sky, making a wish that this moment will never end.

He lifts his head from me and I see that Juhani is back, and my fantasy of Daniel is over. He lets out a short laugh as he tumbles off of me and lies down next to me. He breathes heavily as he looks up at the night sky. We lie there for a while, succumbed by our own thoughts.

He finally looks over at me, and with a smile, he asks me what I am thinking about. I tell him that I am not thinking of anything, that my mind is empty of all thoughts. In this moment, it is an amazing feeling having no thoughts in my mind. It is finally quiet for a moment. I place my head on his chest as we both look up at the sky; his breathing rocking my head back and forth.

"Why didn't you tell me about your mission with Daniel?" Juhani finally says and my heart skips as he asks me this. I look up at him and his expression is emotionless and I am not sure if he is mad at me or not. "I waited for you that night." He says and I realize that I told him I would see him the night that I left with Daniel.

I think for a moment, wondering what to say to him, then finally say, "I didn't have time to tell you about the mission. Daniel pulled me out of the Animus and we immediately went to the airport." I say to Juhani, unable to look at him so I continue to stare at the stars.

"Alan didn't approve the mission." Juhani simply says and I expect him to say more but he doesn't.

"Daniel wanted to give me the opportunity to get William." I explain, not sure anymore if that was why Daniel chose me to join him on the mission.

"It was reckless." Juhani says with a harsh tone. "He is unstable and he put you in danger."

I swallow hard at his tone and think about how I jeopardized the mission as much as Daniel did. "What does it matter now? Daniel and I failed." I say quietly.

"I have a field mission." Juhani simply says. I look up at him, but he keeps his eyes on the stars. "I deploy tomorrow."

"What is the mission?" I ask and his jaw tenses.

He looks down at me and kisses my forehead. "It's a simple reconnaissance mission. Shouldn't be too exciting."

"When will you be back?" I ask him.

"Shouldn't be more than 2 or 3 days." He says with a reassuring smile.

After a moment of silence, Juhani asks me if I am ready to leave and I tell him that I am not. That I want to stay here forever. Juhani takes my face in his large hand and looks into my eyes with his greyish blue eyes. "Don't worry," he says, "we will have everything we desire soon enough." I smile at him and he kisses me on my forehead. "But for now, we need to return to the compound." I frown and he lets out a chuckle, lifting himself into a sitting position and gets dressed. I follow his lead and after a brief moment of looking back at the crescent moon mirror in the water, we leave the lookout and head back to the compound.

When we return to the compound, Juhani tells me that he needs to pack for his mission as he leaves first thing in the morning. I kiss him goodnight and we part for the night. I enter my suite and see Daniel and my sister sitting in the living room playing a game of chess. I freeze at the sight of them laughing together. They both stop and look at me when I enter the room.

"Mila," Lilly calls out happily, taking a sip of her wine, "Where have you been?"

"What is he doing here?" I ask her with a tense tone.

Lilly frowns at my demeanor. "He's keeping me company."

"I should go," Daniel says quietly.

"No," Lilly says to him. "If Amelia has an issue with you, she can leave." She says looking at me with a cold gaze.

"Are you kidding me?" I say, "This is _my_ apartment."

"It's mine as much as it is yours. If you can have late night guests, so can I." She says bitterly and I watch as Daniel stiffens at the comment.

I look at her with a cold gaze as she smiles at me, proud of her new found, alcohol-powered confidence. "Daniel, get out." I say to him, not letting my eyes leave my sister's gaze.

I see in my peripheral that Daniel hesitates for a moment, then he begins to get up, but I keep my eyes locked on my sister, sending her hateful daggers at her disobedient behavior. Daniel leaves the apartment and when the door shuts I begin. "What has gotten into you?" I ask her.

"Me?" she calls out angrily. "I was having fun with him!" she yells. "He had a stressful day and I invited him back here for a game of chess and some wine. He was really letting loose and I was getting to know him." She looks at me with hate filled eyes. "You want to judge me so viciously, where were you?"

I swallow hard at the comment and ignore her inquisition in my night. "Daniel is an alcoholic, not to mention unstable and dangerous. You will not meet with him alone anymore." I say sternly.

"Oh, fuck off, Amelia. You are not Mom." She says viciously, "No matter how much you try to be, you will never hold a candle up to her."

I look at her in shock and feel a pang in my heart. "Fine," I say quietly. "You want to fuck Daniel? Go for it! Just prey he doesn't strangle you thinking that you're his ancestor or something." I spit.

"Are you really that dense, Amelia?" She asks with a shake of her head. "You are so self-centered that you don't take a second to pull your head out of your ass and get to know those around you. Do you even know anything about me?" She asks with a cracking voice. "Do you even care?"

"Of course I care!" I yell at her, making her widen her eyes in fear. "You think I don't care about you?" I say angrily. "I am destroying my body and my mind to get Andre's talents so I can kill William Miles for what he did to you! I am throwing myself into decay for you!"

"That's not what I want!" She yells back and I am taken aback by her comment. She takes a deep breath and tries to compose herself, "Jesus, do you even remember what really happened that night? Or are you so driven by this stupid quest for vengeance that you've changed the events of that night to better fit your narrative?"

"What are you talking about?" I ask her, my body still shaking in rage.

"What does it matter?" She says in a fed-up tone. "No matter what I say, you'll still do things how they best suit your needs." Before she can say anything more, she throws the glass of wine on the table and turns her wheelchair to her room and slams the door shut.

I stand there for a moment, high on the hate the runs in my veins as I try to calm myself down, but I cannot stop thinking about what she just said. I think about her words and their similarity to Daniel's. I wonder if I know anything about her and what she desires.

I decide that I can no longer stay in this place and I have to leave. I walk out the door feeling the need to decompress and I think about the only place that I can go to escape myself. I head to the Animus room and log onto the computer, typing furiously at the keys, preparing the sequence.

I stop typing and think of the comment my sister made about my not remembering the night my mother and father died at the hands of William Miles. I look at the sequence and hover over the keyboard as I type the date I fetch from the Animus. I instruct the Animus to fetch the memory from Grand Master Dalton James' memory bank of 28 Dec, 2001. The Animus accepts the sequence and I lie down in the Animus and swallow hard as tears fall down my face.

 _The shrill operatic tone of the Nutcracker tune played in the car as the girls moved their arms mimicking the movements of the ballerinas. Lilly announced that she was going to be a famous ballerina when she grew up. Dalton looked back at his daughters with a scoff. The girls could have their silly fantasies for now, but he had better plans for the girls when they came to age. He would train them to be elite sleeper agents for the Templar Knights to gather information from the Assassins._

 _Dalton looked at the girls and wondered how they would do within the Order. Dalton knew that Lilly was intelligent, and he knew that her cunning could manipulate any man to kneel to her whims. She often commanded her sister around along with Dalton and her mother. She knew what she wanted and strived towards it. It was the older of the two that Dalton was worried about. Amelia often fought Dalton's authority and despite how many times he used the belt on her, she had always found a way to disobey his wishes. Dalton often wondered how Amelia was going to take commands from her betters, but despite all that, he saw a fighter in her, and knew that she would do well in the Order. Dalton's eyes flashed at his wife as she looked at him with concerned eyes. She had suspected his actions of late, but it was not Dalton that had been suspicious, but rather her._

 _"_ _The speed limit is 35." She had said quietly and Dalton had barely heard over the sound of the stereo. Dalton stepped on the gas and accelerated the car faster. His eyes shifted in the rearview mirror as the headlights of his tail turned to follow him._

 _"_ _Tell me, Angela." Dalton said with a leveled voice. "What did the Assassin's promise you for my life?" He did not look at his wife, and kept his eyes on the headlights, but he could see his wife stiffen at his comment. "What amount did they place on my soul that you gave in?" Dalton watched as his wife fiddled with her ring, and he wondered if she had removed it when she was sleeping with her Assassin lover._

 _"_ _Dalton slow down." Angela demanded of her husband. "The girls are in the car, we can do this later."_

 _"_ _Later?" Dalton scoffed. He looked at her with wild hate. "What did he promise you that you spread your legs so easily?" He spat venomously. "Hum?" He demanded of her. "You were going to take my girls away from me, take my life, so you could be with your little lover?"_

 _Dalton snatched Angela by the back of the head, holding tightly onto her brown hair. Dalton began swerving as he tried to hold his wife along with the vehicle. "Dalton, please!" His wife called out to him. "Please let's do this at home." She begged him._

 _"_ _Who's it going to be, Angela? You cannot have the girls and your lover. You chose this family or you chose nothing." He threatened._

 _"_ _Dalton, please! Stop the car!" She cried._

 _The girls had begun crying, picking up on their mother's distress. "Look what you are doing to this family, Angela!" Dalton yelled. "You want me to stop this car so your lover there can take my life and you can get your reward and live out your life an Assassin's whore!"_

 _"_ _I am going to take the girls away from you. You will_ never _put your hands on them." She spat venomously._

 _Dalton filled with rage and slammed his wife's head into the dash of the car repeatedly. She cried out in pain and Dalton could no longer hear her cries over the sound of the Nutcracker symphony swelling throughout the car, and he continued to slam her head into the dash, splitting her head open, filling the car with blood._

 _The girls screamed in shrill panic as Dalton lost control of the car on the ice. He let go of his wife and her head fell limp on the dash, eyes wide open barren of life. Dalton tried to gather control of the vehicle, but he was unable to, and the car slammed into the metal guard and plunged into the icy waters._

 _Dalton heard a metallic crunch when he hit the guard and looked back at the girls. He saw that the metal guard had pierced through the car and a piece of the doorframe had impaled his daughter Lilly. He watched as she wailed in pain as the white dress covered in blood._

 _Icy cold water began filling the car and Dalton commanded his daughters to leave the car. Amelia and Lilly cried with fear of their father and refused to obey his commands. Dalton angrily cut his seatbelt and moved to the back of the vehicle to cut Amelia's seatbelt. She pushed him away from her, afraid of her father for what she had just seen of him. He took her aggressively by the arm and forced her out of the window into the water. The girl knew how to swim, and he expected she would make her way to the shore fine._

 _Dalton looked at his younger daughter—his favorite of the two—and tried to calm her down as he removed her from the shard of metal that pierced her. Dalton frowned at the sight, knowing that his great plans for his favorite daughter would now be spoiled._

 _He managed to get his daughter and him from the sinking vehicle while swimming to shore. He heard the piercing wails of his older daughter on the shore as she watched the two of them struggle to shore. Once he got the girl to shore, he was greeted by the Assassin that tailed their car._

 _"_ _Your girl is hurt." He said to Dalton. "Turn yourself in and we will get her to the hospital."_

 _"_ _I would rather watch her bleed to death than kneel to you and your abomination of a Creed." Dalton spat. "Where is the coward that fucked my wife?" He asked. "Why did he send you to do his business?"_

 _"_ _Daddy! Please stop!" Amelia yelled kicking and hitting her father. Crying and begging for it to stop. Dalton shoved his daughter away from him and she fell to the ground with a sob._

 _"_ _We don't want any more bloodshed this night, James. Give us the location of the Piece of Eden and we can end this tonight."_

 _Dalton scoffed. "So that's what she promised you." He said, "You will never find the Piece of Eden." He said lunging at his target._

 _The Assassin pulled out his blade before the Knight could take his target. Dalton fell to the ground. His eyes searching for aid. He looked at the small sparkling shoes his daughter wore as they stained with the blood from her wound. Dalton watched her before he fell to his death, seeing the look of terror in her eyes at the monster before her._

"Amelia, please! Wake up!" I hear a voice call to me. My eyes flutter open and I search for the voice. My eyes catch his eyes as they transform from the hard-concerned stab, to a softening sense of relief. "Oh, thank God, can you hear me?" I try to move my head but he holds me too tightly. "Amelia, can you hear me?" He yells at me.

A moan is all I can manage. He lays me down on the ground and searches the room frantically for something but I cannot see what. He grows angry and begins throwing things around the room. "Dan…Daniel." I call out to him and he comes running over to me.

"Amelia, talk to me, are you alright?" Daniel says frantically.

"What…" I can't formulate any sentences and he looks at me with concern.

"I came to apologize to you, and I found you in here alone. Inside the Animus, unattended. You were having a seizure. I pulled you out, but you kept seizing. I was going to call Doctor Sung—"

"No!" I call out with all my might and he looks at me with shocked eyes.

"Amelia, you had a seizure because your body was rejecting the Animus. This was directly caused by the Bleeding Effect."

I pull myself into a seated position. I lean myself against the Animus. My head is splitting, along with all my muscles aching more than I have ever felt before. "I… I am fine." I tell him slowly.

"You were fucking seizing!" He snaps.

"And you shouldn't have moved me!" I yell back. Thinking of how much of an idiot he is for moving a seizing person. I could have choked on my tongue and died because of this moron.

"I was just trying to get you out of the Animus. I thought you were going to die." He says and I look into his eyes to see genuine fear in them. The sight makes me angrier because it reminds me of our kiss and how much I desired his touch when I was with Juhani.

"Stop worrying about me, Daniel." I say to him angrily.

"I care about you…" He says sadly.

My blood boils as I feel butterflies in my stomach form. I want him to care about me. I want him to worry about me. I want to feel his hands on me. I desire him so much. "Why?" I ask him with as much hatred as I can conjure up. "I don't give a shit about you!" I lie to him.

Daniel is taken aback my comment and I can see that he is more hurt than angry at first, until he gathers himself and he begins boiling in hatred. "You're a fucking cunt." He says lowly, moving to his feet and leaving the room. I swallow hard as tears begin to fall down my face as I sit against the Animus.

After a moment of sitting against the Animus, hating myself for hurting Daniel, I decide that I should walk around and stretch my aching body. I get up and walk around the compound, feeling every nerve in my body ache as though each and every nerve in my body has died. I try to think about what I have just seen inside the Animus, and make sense of it. Everything I remembered was wrong and the realization begins to break my mind.

I hang onto the wall of a long corridor trying to get to my room. I need to see Lilly. I am sweating, my heart is beating heavily, and I feel like I am dying. I breathe heavily, trying to make my way to the room when I see someone approach me. I stop moving and exhale when I see that it is Violet de Costa. She gives me a concerned look when we cross paths, and I wonder how bad I must look to her.

I look at her face and it contorts from her own face to my mother's. I hold my head as I begin to hear a piercing shrieking inside my head. "Amelia, are you alright?" She asks in a demonic voice, and I push myself away from her. I feel the room spinning as I try to run from her, but soon, I feel my body fall to the ground.

 _Andre sat at the table with the newly appointed Grand Master Everard des Barres. Andre watched his brother as he took a sip of his soup. The Grand Master absentmindedly ate his soup while reading the holy scripture. In the wake of the death of Robert de Craon, Everard took the seat of Grand Master and Andre realized that he had to take another life to gain what was rightfully his. He wondered why his brothers refused him the title of Grand Master and wondered how many more would have to fall before he was bestowed the title. Andre told himself that he would kill them all for the title._

 _"_ _Brother Everard," Andre called out to him, and his brother looked up from his scriptures. "Will you walk the gardens with me?" Andre asked him._

 _"_ _Of course, Brother." Everard placed the book down and pushed himself from the table._

 _The two men entered the labyrinth inside the gardens. Andre wondered how he was going to take the life of his brother without raising suspicion on him. It was easy with Robert as Andre blamed his death on Lisbon guards that intercepted them in the city. Andre made a spectacle of it, and had shed convincing tears for his fallen Master, and all were left none the wiser._

 _However, killing Everard would have been more difficult and Andre had known that he had to be more cautious with Everard, as he was more well received than Robert._

 _"_ _What troubles your thoughts, Brother?" Everard asked Andre and he did not know how to answer his brother._

 _"_ _I wonder if it is God's wish we wage these wars if He does not have us return victorious." Andre spoke to his brother. "I am cautious to bring these hesitations to light, as I do not question God's plan for us, but I wonder His methods in His ways."_

 _"_ _Indeed it has been said that God's will is mysterious." Everard returns, "We must show that we are worthy of His love and He will be gracious to us. We have not earned the Lord's love. We must lead those who have lost their way from the Lord's grace, and we must fight those demons that work against Him. Only then will we be rewarded for our deeds. Do not doubt His methods, Andre. Every trial is a test to our faith, and we must stay true to it."_

 _Andre watched as his brother had bent over to smell a blooming flower before him, knowing that in that moment, he could have taken his brother's life with ease. But Andre hesitated._

 _"_ _I need a sign, Brother." Andre said to him. "My faith is wavering and I need a symbol of the Lord's faith in my cause._

 _Everard smiled at Andre and approached him. He placed his hands on the Knight's shoulders. "I have such a thing. And I will show it to you."_

 _"_ _What is it?" Andre asked him and his brother smiled knowingly._

 _"_ _The Holy Grail, Andre."_

My vision blurs in and out as I gain consciousness. I stare up at the ceiling as the florescent lights pierce down on me. I lift my head and the rest of my body follows. I look around the room and see concerned eyes returned to me. I groan as I sit completely up and Alan approaches me, aiding in getting me to sit up.

"Easy, child" he says softly. "Tell us what happened." Alan commands.

I look around the room and see almost everyone is here. Alan, Warren, Doctor Sung, Violet, Juhani, Daniel, and my sister all stand before me, watching me with curious eyes. I scratch my head at the confusion of everything and Alan explains. "Violet found you in the hallway, disoriented and hostile."

"You were sweating and when I asked you if you were okay, you swung at me, then passed out on the ground." Violet explains. "I called Juhani and he carried you into Doctor Sung's office." I look up at Juhani and he gives me a concerned look.

My eyes flash over at Daniel who stands in the back of the rooms with his arms crossed. He looks tense and I can tell that he is watching me carefully. He now knows better than anyone the severity of the Bleeding Effect, and I have now made an enemy of him. I expect him to speak up, but he does not. He simply watches me with tense eyes.

"I…" I try to think of what to say to them, not wanting everyone in here knowing that I am succumbing to the Bleeding Effect. "I must have had a fainting spell." I say, shrugging it off and Violet looks at me with narrowed eyes, knowing that that wasn't the case.

"Well she seems fine and in better spirits." Warren says, "Some food and rest should do her fine." Warren decides to leave the room and Violet joins him, but the rest stay in the room.

"I am worried about her." Sung says to Alan. "She has done well avoiding the symptoms of the Bleeding Effect—better than Daniel—but it seems that she is starting to experience fatigue from the Animus. I think it best we shorten her time in the Animus."

"It was nothing." I tell them. "It was a simple fainting spell." I say and Daniel watches me carefully. "I…I…" I stutter, unable to look at him while I lie. "I didn't eat much today, nor did I have enough water. It was probably caused by low blood sugar." I turn to Alan, "there is no need to shorten my time in the Animus." I tell him, craving to return to the Animus.

Alan thinks for a moment and looks at Sung. "Seems to be a valid point. I don't see why we should keep her—"

"I can't listen to this anymore." Daniel says, pushing himself off of the wall and walking up to the rest of the group. My heart races and I send Daniel a pleading gaze that he keeps quiet. "It was not a fainting spell." He says coldly and I frown at him. "She had a seizure inside the Animus just before she fainted." I clench my jaw tightly stiffening with hate that he would say this to them. I look over at Juhani as he looks at me with wide concerned eyes, my sister sharing the same gaze. "I found her inside the Animus and pulled her—"

"He's a liar!" I call out, looking at Alan, trying to convince him that I am fine. "Daniel is just lying because he is jealous that I can withstand the Animus and its symptoms, unlike him." I say spitefully.

Daniel scoffs, "Fine, look at the surveillance and see for yourself." Daniel says and I swallow hard.

Alan sees the look in my eyes and can tell that Daniel is telling the truth. Alan looks at Sung for a moment, then at Lilly. After a moment of thinking he sighs and says, "Amelia will be removed from the Animus Project until she is stabilized." He tells Sung and she nods. "You will oversee her recovery and advise when she is stable enough to enter the Animus once again.

My heart races as I realize that if I am not inside the Animus learning Andre's skill, Alan will not allow me William Miles. The idea makes me become hot and I feel everything that I have worked for slipping away.

Alan shifts to leave the room and everyone begins shuffling outside of the room. I can feel my work slipping away, and the withdrawal of the Animus overcoming me. My heart races quickly and I begin to sweat. I feel frantic and I have to say something. "I found it!" I call out and everyone freezes and looks at me, but my eyes are locked on Alan. "I found the Piece of Eden." I tell him. "I found the Holy Grail."

I watch as the entire mood of the room shifts and I watch as a subtle twitch curves on Alan's lips. "Where is it?" He asks me with a wild eagerness in his eyes.

"Andre is close to it. If you allow me just a bit more time in the Animus, I will know where it is. And I can deliver it to you." I tell him hastily.

"I advise against that, Alan." Sung says. "If she is having seizures, she is deteriorating at three times the amount that Daniel was effected." She pleads. "At this rate, she will be completely overcome by the Bleeding Effect within a year."

"I can give you the Holy Grail." I tell Alan, not listening to a word that Sung says to him. All I can think about is the draw to return to the Animus.

"Alan," Lilly speaks up, "this is not up for discussion." She says in a stern tone. "She is fading, look at her!" She calls out motioning at me. "Her eyes are sunken in, she is losing her muscle mass, she isn't getting any sleep at night, and her mood has shifted into a hostile one. The Animus is destroying her!"

"We have a responsibility to humanity to find these relics and bring them to light, where we can examine them, understand them, and use them as tools to gain as a species." Alan explains.

"And at what cost, Alan?" Lilly retorts. "Amelia is dying!"

"It is my choice!" I say firmly and she looks at me with wide concerned eyes.

"Your choice?" She scoffs, "You would sacrifice yourself to know where a man hid a mythical cup almost a thousand years ago? Who's to say that it's still where he left it?"

"Enough!" Alan calls out over our argument. "Amelia will continue to enter the Animus as she has been scheduled to do so by Lilly's calculations." He says turning to Juhani, "Juhani, I want you to watch over Amelia at all times after your mission tomorrow. You will oversee her to ensure that she is stable and unaffected by the Bleeding Effect. You will ensure she obliges by Lilly's schedule." Juhani does not move at Alan's comment and stands stiff and uncomfortable at the situation. "Sung will have mandatory checkups with Amelia every other day and prescribe the same medication Daniel is on." He looks over at Daniel, "Daniel, you will oversee Amelia while Juhani is away on mission. I want you to have eyes on her 24/7," Alan turns to me and sends me a stabbing glare. "You will respect him and listen to his authority; do you hear me?" I swallow hard and turn my head away from him. Alan approaches me and takes my face in his hands. "Sweet child, you have done it. I am so proud of you." He says with a smile and kisses my forehead. He walks away from me and leaves the room.

Once Alan leaves the room Lilly scoffs. "Dr Sung, this is outrageous. She is nowhere near stable enough to be entering the Animus. My calculations were based on the rate in which Daniel experienced the Bleeding Effect. Clearly, it is effecting Amelia differently."

"You are making this more than it has to be." I tell her. "I am fine. I had a one-off situation with the Animus, and haven't experienced any further symptoms of the Bleeding Effect." I explain.

"Have you experienced any hallucinations?" Dr Sung asks me.

I look at Daniel and think of the incident in the subway where I saw Andre. "No, no hallucinations." Daniel stays quiet and I keep my eyes on him the entire time while Sung questions me.

"Do you hear voices?" I tell her no. "Are you experiencing mood swings." I tell her no. "Are you having trouble sleeping?" I tell her no. "Do you feel dizzy, lightheaded, or in pain when you exit the Animus?" I tell her no. "Are you experiencing an attraction to the Animus or anything that you are not normally attracted to?" I look at Daniel and he watches me carefully. I try not to think of how much I desire him and I swallow hard knowing that it is a side effect of the Animus. After I pause I finally tell Sung no.

 _"_ _Do you really think you'll find where I've hidden it?"_ I hear Andre's voice whisper in my ear. I swallow hard and remove him from my presence.

Dr Sung sighs, knowing that I am not telling the whole truth in my answers. She tells me that she will prescribe me the antipsychotics that Daniel has been prescribed, as well as the sleeping aid, and antidepressants. She steps out of the room and Lilly approaches me with a frown on her face.

"Amelia, why are you doing this to yourself?" She asks me and I don't have a good enough answer for her. I simply shrug at her and she exhales. "Why did you lie to Sung about your symptoms? I know for a fact that you're experiencing pain exiting the Animus, and though you're not hallucinating now, it's only a matter of time until you will be.

Daniel stiffens at the comment but continues to stay quiet. I place my face in my hands and exhale. "Can we just go to bed?" I beg. "I am tired, and I think that some sleep is best for me."

She frowns at my comment and looks at Juhani, hoping that he can say something to me to convince me otherwise. He looks at me and smiles a sad smile. He places his hand on my cheek, "Get some rest, and when I return, we will go on a hike and get some fresh air." He says and after a moment of staring into my eyes, he drops his hand from my cheek and leaves the room.

I catch Daniel's gaze as I watch Juhani leave the room. I can see that the gears in his head are turning at the sight and it's obvious that he is suspicious of my relationship with Juhani.

I look down at my sister and ask her if we can leave and she agrees. I stand up and Daniel approaches me. I turn to him and ask him what he is doing and he responds. "I am escorting you to your place."

"I can walk on my own, thanks." I tell him in a pressed tone.

"Alan told me to have my eyes on you 24/7." He returns.

"So, what? You expect me to let you in my bed and cuddle me now?" I scoff at him.

"No, your couch will suffice." He says in a pressed tone.

"You've got to be kidding me."

"Just let him be, Amelia." Lilly sighs. "He doesn't want to babysit you as much as you don't want him to. Let's just make the most of it, and not turn it into an issue." I exhale and take Lilly's chair to wheel her to our suite.

Daniel follows behind while Lilly scolds me for being reckless and not telling her that I was experiencing the Bleeding Effect. I don't listen to anything that Lilly says as I begin remembering why I was in the Animus. The memory of my father. I try to think about what I saw and if it were true. I remember the night so differently in my head versus what I was shown in the Animus and I no longer know what to believe. I know my father was not a terrible man, but the Animus portrayed him as such a horrible person. I frown at the idea and try to expel it from my mind.

We enter the suite and I help Lilly into bed. Daniel watches from the doorway as I move her chair within arm's reach if she needs to get up in the middle of the night. I tell her good night and she tells me that she loves me. I close her door and look at Daniel. I sigh at him and go into the closet where we hold spare blankets. I grab him a few blankets and pillows and make him a bed on the couch while he stands back and watches wordlessly.

I finish up setting up the bed and once I am finished, I hand him the pillow. He smiles at me and I start heading to my room when he calls out to me. "Amelia," he says in a hoarse tone. I turn back to him and he looks at me for a moment, contemplating saying something. He exhales and finally says, "Thank you."

I can tell that thanking me was not what he wanted to say to me, and rather than saying anything back to him, I head into my room, and once my head hits my pillow, I fall into a dark and dreamless sleep.


	5. Rehabilitation

**Hope you guys like this story so far and the characters that I have created. Here is a super long chapter for you all and I hope you enjoy. Let me know what you think of everything in the reviews.**

* * *

 **Rehabilitation**

I wake up the following morning feeling as though I have been sleeping for years. I crawl out of my bed and head into the living room. I look around and see Daniel sitting on the couch watching TV. He looks up at me and shoots me a sideways smile. "Good Morning." I look at him with a confused look and he flicks his wrist to check his watch. "Actually, Good Afternoon. It's 2pm." I stay frozen and he continues, "I thought you were dead with how long you were asleep. I kept on checking up on you, but you were out; there was no waking you. Lilly told me to let you sleep."

"Where is my sister?" I finally ask him in a hoarse tone.

"She is looking into reconfiguring the Animus to see if there is an issue with the software." He says simply. "She is going to rework your schedule as well to ensure you don't experience the Bleeding Effect any further."

"Fantastic," I say with little enthusiasm. I walk over to the kitchen to pour myself a glass of water. I look back at Daniel and catch his eyes looking down at my body as I wear a cropped tank top and small shorts that show the lower curve of my butt. "Like what you see?" I ask him in a condescending tone and he quickly pulls his eyes from me and to the TV. I smile at myself at his uncomfortable posture. "How'd you sleep last night?" I ask him taking a sip of water.

He clears his throat then says, "alright, your couch has a loose spring that stabbed me all night."

"I'll be sure to let Alan know." I tell him and he looks at me with a confused glare. "His money pays for everything in here. Well, Abstergo's money does." I explain, "after my father was killed we were given a monthly stipend by Abstergo for his service."

Daniel doesn't say anything and I head from the room. "Where are you going?" He asks me, getting up to follow me.

"The shower." I tell him. "Care to join?"

He stiffens nervously at the comment. "You enjoy teasing me?" He asks.

"If I have to suffer with your presence, the least I can do is return the suffering." I say blatantly. I turn from him and head into my room where I get undressed and start the shower. I step into the smoldering stream of water as I exhale at my muscles relaxing. The feeling of my skin burning at the hot water feels strangely soothing and relaxing.

I step out of the shower and dress myself for the day. I put on a pair of ripped black jeans that Alan hates because he thinks they are unprofessional, and a black tank top. I loop a belt through my pants and brush my hair and teeth.

I exit into the living room and Daniel stands as I walk into the room. "Are you ready?" he asks in a deep tone as he looks me up and down.

"Yes," I tell him simply and he escorts me out of the suite. He follows me from behind as I walk down the hall. He escorts me through the lobby as we make our way around to the Animus room.

I hear Daniel clear his throat and I glance back at him. "Otso-Berg came by the place this morning." I try not to react to his comment of Juhani stopping by the apartment. "He wanted to see you before he left for his mission." He says slowly and calculatedly. "He was surprised to see me there while you were sleeping." He says in a flat tone that doesn't give me any idea of what he is thinking.

I turn around and look at Daniel. "I'm sure he needed something from me and didn't want to discuss his business with you." I say spitefully.

"Oh, I am sure he needed something very important from you to be coming by at 3 am." Daniel returns annoyed. I look at him with narrowed eyes and he watches me carefully, waiting for me to slip up and admit that I am sleeping with Juhani. I turn away from him and he says, "Whatever your relationship is with Burg, it's dangerous. If Alan finds out—"

"Mind your own business, Daniel." I cut him off. "Don't presume to know everything about me."

Daniel stands there stiff with his brows pressed together with confliction. He keeps going back in forth in his mind to say something to me, but he ends up keeping his mouth shut and opens the door for me into the Animus room. I enter the room to see Lilly wildly and angrily typing at her computer into a black chat box. When I enter the room, she closes the black box and looks over at me. She smiles at me and lights up at my presence. "Mila, you look better." She says with a smile.

"I guess that's what 18 hours of sleep does to you." I tell her with a rye laugh.

She smiles at me and gives a pressed laugh. She looks uncomfortable and I ask her what is going on. She swallows hard and her smile fades. She looks at me, then at Daniel, then back at me. I press her to tell me what is going on and she says, "I spoke with Alan about your new schedule inside the Animus." She begins and I frown at where this is already going. "Based on your level of deterioration, I have calculated that you can be in the Animus either 10 minutes a day, or once a week for an hour at most. Alan was not pleased with this while we discussed it at length this morning. We came to an agreement that you take this entire week off from the Animus, and we will continue next week with two 10-minute sessions daily."

"No," I say simply and Lilly frowns at me. "You two have no right discussing _my_ schedule without me. As discussed last night, I am not experiencing any of the symptoms of the Bleeding Effect."

Lilly sighs, "Mila, Daniel and I discussed it while you were sleeping. He told me about your episode in Brazil as well as other minor episodes throughout the compound."

"Of course he did." I say shooting him a hateful glare.

"Don't be mad at Daniel. We care about you, Mila." She says bringing my attention back to her. "The week will give me sometime to work on the Animus to improve it and ensure you can stay in it for much longer than my original calculations. For now, we have all agreed on you working with Rizzo to build up your body, as well as your mind with Doctor Sung."

"Fine," I tell her crossing my arms over my chest. "Since I am wasting my time here with you, mind telling me where I am scheduled to be right now?"

I see Daniel shift in my peripheral in discomfort at my harsh tone. "Doctor Sung wants to have a full psychiatric examination before we move forward." She says apprehensively as an abused victim would to their abuser. I swallow hard, unable to see her react to me so.

"Perfect." I say in a less harsh tone and turn away from her. I leave her in the room and Daniel follows behind at my heel.

"You know, you don't have to be such a bitch to her. She just cares about you." He says simply.

I turn to him and look up at him as he towers over me, "Do you remember seven years ago when you were constantly in and out of the Animus?" I ask him. "You used to stomp down these halls seething in hatred at everyone around you. Do you remember when an impressionably childish sixteen-year-old with a crippling crush on you gave you a Valentine?" I say speaking of myself, "Do you remember what you did with that Valentine?" I ask him and he exhales crossing his arms over his chest. "You crumpled it up and threw it back in my face. You told me to 'fuck off', and continued walking." Daniel doesn't respond and I continue. "You were a giant dick when you were in and out of the Animus, so please, don't call me a 'bitch' because that is the pot calling the kettle black." I say turning away from him.

I walk away from Daniel and he does not say anything to me. He continues wordlessly following me to Sung's office. When I enter the office, she greets me warmly. She lifts her glasses up and asks me to sit down. She glares at Daniel and tells him to wait outside. He is hesitant and doesn't budge. "Daniel, these sessions are confidential. I am sure you wouldn't want Miss James knowing everything you spoke about while in here." She says and he tenses.

"Well if she starts attacking you, make sure you scream loud enough for me to hear from outside." He says in a hoarse tone.

She glares at him through the brim of her glasses and closes the door behind her. I sit down in the chair and cross my legs leaning back in the chair. I try to get as comfortable as I can and take what I am to endure with some grace.

"Welcome in Miss James. I am happy to have you here with me again." She says as she sits down at her desk. I have not been in Doctor Sung's office since I was twenty and training for the Animus. Back then, we never spoke about me, but rather prepared me in understanding my ancestors and their historical ties to the Order.

She pulls out a pen and paper and I look at her. "Are you going to tell Alan everything that I say in here?" I ask her and she looks at me through the brim of her glasses.

"This is for my own record keeping. Alan will never know what is spoken in here. Everything you say is confidential."

"Accept from you, and whoever finds your notes." I retort.

She smiles at me and puts the pen down. "How about no notes?" she says. "This will just be an informal discussion between the two of us. Does that sound alright?" I shrug telling her that I don't care either way. I bury my hands between my thighs and must look so tight and uncomfortable to Sung. She smiles at me trying to come off more welcoming. "When Daniel first came here, he was very apprehensive to speak with me as well." She lets out a laugh at the memory. "In fact, he was very hostile and—"

"I thought our time in here was confidential." I throw at her and she gives a defeated smile pressed into a straight line.

"I want you to be comfortable in here. I want you to know that it's not easy for people to be in here with me, discussing their lives and thoughts. I want you to know that it is not uncommon to be uncomfortable, and that it is a natural response." I look at her with a bored look on my face and she can see that she is losing me. "Why don't we start with something simple," she says, "why don't you tell me something that makes you happy or brings you a sense of joy."

"Not having this conversation with you." I say simply, moving my arms to cross over my chest.

Doctor Sung frowns. "I know there are other places you'd rather be, but Alan has asked that you go through these sessions to ensure that you are mentally prepared for the Animus and the effects it can have on you."

"Look, Doctor Sung," I begin, "I understand the importance of me being open with my symptoms of the Bleeding Effect, and I understand the severity of this issue, but from the questions you asked me last night, it is clear that I am not experiencing these issues. I am fine and everyone is blowing this out of proportion."

"Ms. James, may I speak bluntly?" She asks and I nod, "I have known you for a while; since I was an intern here under the supervision of Doctor Clarke, and I have gotten to learn your personality." She says as I begin growing uncomfortable at where she is going with this. "You have always been a strong young girl, and very…noncompliant with others." I swallow hard. "You are a very proud person and won't allow anyone to know there may be an issue with you or those around you. You're very much into keeping good appearances. Your father was the same way." I glare at her, warning her to choose her next words wisely. She sighs seeing that I am not getting the point. "I know you don't want those who care about you knowing that there is something off. I will ask you those questions that I asked you last night, and I want you to answer them truthfully and with more of an answer than 'yes' or 'no'. No one is here to judge or dote over you. It is an environment to be open with me."

I don't say anything to her and she continues with her questions. "Are you experiencing any pain leaving the Animus after its use?"

I sigh and realize that I am never going to get out of this unless I tell her what she wants to hear. I uncross my arms and rub my sweaty palms on my black jeans. "Every now and then I get minor headaches or a pinching pain in my left eye." I say trying to make it sound less severe than it is.

"Have you experienced any hallucinations or hearing voices?"

"I am not going batshit like Cross." I say coldly and she gives me a pressed glare. I sigh and think about how to answer the question. If I tell the truth, she will not clear me for the Animus, but there is also the chance that Daniel told her about everything that he has seen from me. I decide to say as little as I can get away with. "I have occasionally seen figures in the corner of my eyes that are not there." She nods interestingly and I swallow hard, wondering if I said too much.

"Tell me about your mood swings? What goes on in your mind?"

"I think this is subjective." I tell her, "Sometimes I get in a bad mood; whether it be lack of sleep or food, my time of the month, or my lack of patience. If someone is getting on my nerves, I lash out. I can't help that everyone is sensitive around me." I say harshly and she simply nods.

"You mentioned trouble sleeping."

"I have been an insomniac since my father was stabbed to death before my eyes." I tell her harshly and she becomes visibly uncomfortable. "So, I would not attribute that to the Bleeding Effect."

"Sometimes the Animus can effect the user in a way that is similar to addictive substances. After Daniel was removed from the Animus, he often snuck back into the Animus room to enter the Animus. He also experienced withdrawal symptoms. Have you experienced an attraction or pull to the Animus?"

"I think that there is an obvious lure to the Animus in that it allows you to escape the real world and enter the memories of your ancestors." I tell her. "Naturally, I find Andre's life to be alluring. He is a Grand Master Templar and a founding father of the Order. I don't know anyone that would not be drawn to something like that."

She nods once and continues. "Another effect is an attraction or fascination with objects or people we are not normally drawn to. Almost like an obsession. Do you feel an obsessive pull towards any person or thing that is unexplainable for you?"

I think about my desires towards Daniel. I have had a crush on him since I was younger, but that attraction diminished over the years as I grew older and his appeal faded. I was young and he was a star amongst the Templars for his actions against the Assassins. As my attraction diminished the older I got, I never thought much of him. I try to think about when my obsession of Daniel began again, and it all comes back to our kiss in Brazil. Ever since that kiss, I have not been able to get him out of my head and I fiendishly crave him as if I need him to survive.

I try to think of a way to answer this question without bringing up Daniel and being casual with my response as I have been with the other questions. I look up at her finally and say. "My desire to kill William Miles."

"You have this fascination with the idea of killing William Miles?" She repeats.

"Wouldn't you want to kill the man that drove your family into a lake, paralyzing your sister, and stabbed your father?" I look behind Sung and see my father soaking wet standing behind her. His blue lips are curved up the side of his face as if he is proud of me. I swallow hard and look back at Sung.

"The fact of the matter is this is all explainable." I tell her, "you don't need a PH D to know what is going on with me. I am sleep deprived because I have developed a sleeping disorder from a childhood trauma. Lack of sleep is causing my mood swings, hallucinations, and fatigue. My fascination with killing William is justifiable, under the circumstances, and it is not every day that one has the chance to enter the memories of one of the original Templar Knights; causing the allure of the Animus." I say bluntly. "I am not suffering from the Bleeding Effect, but PTSD." I say standing up and exiting the room.

"Miss James, I have your prescription for you." She says calling out to me.

"Great." I tell her halfway out of her office, "I will pick it up from the infirmary." I look down at Daniel who sits in the waiting room reading a magazine. "Let's get the hell out of here." I tell him quietly.

"Are you alright?" He asks me as he jumps up to follow me.

"I am just sick of hearing about the Bleeding Effect." I tell him. "I need to let off some steam."

"What do you suggest?" He asks me and I tell him that I want to go shoot. We enter the shooting range we have on site and gear up. Daniel smiles at me, telling me that he is a great shot and is going to kick my ass at this. I tell him not to underestimate me, as I have been shooting since I was a child.

I get in my lane and get ready to shoot. I watch as Daniel takes form and begins shooting, the shots ringing throughout the range. He is a good shot but not as good as I am. Once he is done, he looks over at me and I take my turn. I take my shots at the target, only allowing myself ten shots, but all are directed at the head of the target. Once I am finished Daniel whistles, impressed at the sight.

"I told you I was a good shot." I say pulling my earplugs out.

"But can you beat our best shot?" Daniel asks, pointing at a framed target on the wall. I look at the target and see that all ten shots were directed in the middle of the chest, the holes overlapping one another.

"Get me another sheet." I tell him and he smiles a sideways smile. I reload the gun while Daniel places a new sheet up. I take a deep breath and once the sheet has stopped moving, I point my gun and aim. I take a moment to get my body to stand still, and after a moment of composure, I begin shooting. I hold my wrists tightly and as I take my last shot, I frown as my wrist twitches. I look at the target with an unsatisfactory glare. All shots were fired with precision. All but one that lies a quarter of an inch to the left.

"Damn, that's impressive." Daniel says as he brings the sheet to me.

"Not as good as that one." I say disappointedly. "Who shot that anyway?" I ask.

"Why don't you go check it out?" He asks of me. "He signed it." He says.

I step over to the target and see a signature scratched on the bottom righthand corner of the target. I look at the messy looking signature and am shocked when I see it before me. _Dalton K. James_. My eyes tear at the sight of my father's target and I look up at Daniel. "He took these shots when he was still an initiate." He explains. "I tell the trainees that if they can shoot like him, they can become a Grand Master one day. Until now, no one has come close to his accuracy." He says looking at me with a smile and handing me a sharpie. I take it from him and smile, taking the target and signing it in the same scratchy signature as my father's.

We leave the range and head back to the suite for the night. Lilly is already there and we all agree to watch a movie together. It isn't long into the movie that I find myself falling asleep. I lean my head on my sister's shoulder who sits next to the couch in her wheelchair. I feel myself fading and before I know it, I have fully fallen asleep on the couch. I feel my body being tugged and after groggily opening my eyes to see Daniel carrying me into my bedroom, I fall back to sleep the moment he lies my body into my bed.

I wake up in the middle of the night feeling as though I am ravenously hungry for something, but it is not food. I think of what I am craving and all I can think about is the Animus. I pull the covers off of me to see that I am in nothing but my underwear and tank top. I pull on some shorts I have lying around and head out of my room. Daniel left my door open to my room just in case I have an episode, he can hear it. I walk out into the living room where Daniel is lightly snoring. I tip-toe past him so not to wake him. I see my sister's bedroom door is closed and I know that she will not hear me.

I am able to leave the suite without waking Daniel, and I head out towards the Animus. The compound is quiet at night as most of the initiates are asleep. I enter the Animus room and I instantly feel a draw to it. I can hear it's rhythmic humming as it demands me to enter it. I sit down at the computer and log on, the computer screen illuminating the room. I open up the program and begin typing the sequence to enter the Animus.

As soon as I am finished with the sequence, I turn to the Animus. When I turn around I scream in primal fear as I see Daniel standing before me. He assures me that it is just him and after I get over the fright, I turn my tone to irritation at his presence.

"What are you doing here?" I ask him.

"I can ask you the same question." He says in a low tone. "Your sister told you not to enter the Animus."

"Yeah, I wasn't, I was just…" I trail off trying to think of an excuse and Daniel raises an eyebrow waiting for my answer. I let out a sigh of defeat. "I just wanted to go in for a moment and see if Andre was shown the Holy Grail." I explain to him. "It was only going to be a few minutes." He sighs, about to say something and I stop him. "I am not addicted to the Animus." I tell him, "I just wanted to see if Andre found it."

Daniel doesn't say anything and just looks at me with a sad look in his eyes, as if he pities me. Daniel grunts as he sits down on the floor next to the Animus and asks me to join him. I am hesitant at first, wondering why he wants to sit on the ground next to the Animus, but rather than questioning him, I sit down next to him, leaning my back against the Animus.

"When I was in and out of the Animus, there was a moment in Nikola's life where he was escaping a burning train, trying to retrieve a Piece of Eden." He begins. "I stopped one of my sessions before he retrieved the artifact. I remember the following days, itching to know what happened to him and the Piece. It's almost like watching a movie, and stopping at the climax. You have to finish the scene, or it starts becoming the only thing that is on your mind." He says turning at me with his brows pressed together. "At the end of the day, you have to realize that it is not a movie, and that digging these memories out of your mind tangles everything up." He sighs, "If I could take it all back, I would have never entered the Animus."

I think about that comment for a moment and wonder if I would want the same. I do not have the same negative impression of the Animus as Daniel has, however, it is because of Daniel's overuse of the Animus, that my time in it has been so monitored and scrutinized. Had Daniel not been there to be the test rat, I would have been more unstable like him. The notion of who I could have been if it wasn't for Daniel frightens me.

I look around the Animus room and sigh, "This is where they kept Desmond Miles." I say to him and he turns his head towards me. "I was in London with Isabelle Ardent when he was here. I never met him."

Daniel sighs, "Never met the kid either before they had me go after him in Manhattan."

"I wonder if he is experiencing the Bleeding Effect too." I say.

Daniel shrugs, "I read some of Lucy's accounts while they were in Italy. She explained that he complained about headaches and minor vision changes. Not as unhinged as us." He lets out a rye chuckle.

I look away from Daniel. "I wonder if he hears the voices too." The thought makes my chin quiver in fear that we have all been the engineers of our own undoing.

"I went back for it." Daniel says looking off into the distance in deep thought. "After throwing the Valentine in your face, I figured that was a bit mean. I went back to the hallway and found it on the floor. I uncrumpled it and read it." He says finally looking at me. "You were quite the poet." He teases and I roll my eyes. He lets out a soft laugh, knowing that Daniel is only saying this to keep my mind off of the Bleeding Effect. "And for the record, I told you to 'fuck off' because you were sixteen, underage, and watched like a hawk by Rikkin. I wasn't about to get on his bad side."

I scoff and he lets out another chuckle. "Thanks, Daniel." I say to him with a smile. "I know I have not been the easiest to be around lately. I appreciate what you do for me, and my sister." He smiles at me and I continue, "Just don't sleep with her though." I warn him, "I will kill you if you do."

"You still don't see it do you?" Daniel says and I look at him with an inquisitive look. "It's not for me to tell you." He says, "But I thought it was obvious."

I think for a moment and when it clicks I look up at him, "She's…" I trail off wondering if I am right, then say, "She's gay?"

"Yeah, Amelia." Daniel says in a matter-of-fact tone. "You know for being her twin, you're not really in tune with her." He says and I think about when she told me that she lost her virginity, and how she didn't want to talk about it. In that moment I wondered if she was so unwilling to tell me because she was pressured, but now it's clear that she didn't want to tell me because she didn't know how well I would take her being gay.

"God, I feel like an ass." I tell him.

"You should," He teases. "She was so afraid to tell you."

"Why?" I ask him, "Why tell you and not me? She is my sister, and I will love her no matter what."

"From what she says, you're a lot like your father. She said that you are both stubborn and aggressive. She didn't know what to expect from you."

I groan and slump my head against the Animus. "I want her to know that I love her and will do anything for her." I tell him.

After a moment of silence, Daniel says that we should get back to the suite and I agree. He helps me up to my feet and we leave the Animus. I feel myself growing anxious as we leave the vicinity of the Animus and I try to forget about its hypnotic pull of me.

Once we get back to the suite, I thank Daniel for all he is doing for me and my sister, and leave him to the couch while I go to my bed and try to get some sleep and not think about the Animus.

Two days pass and I have not experienced any symptoms of the Bleeding Effect. I have been focusing on resting my body and mind as Lilly and Alan have agreed upon for the week. I have not spoken to Lilly much in the past few days as she has been busy working on the Animus. She has asked me to leave her alone when I try to help her or watch her work. I have been trying to talk to her and bond with her, but she has been distant from me. I cannot blame her for not being around me of late seeing as how much of an ass I have been recently.

While outside of the Animus, I have been watching forensic crime documentaries with Daniel to occupy my time. Daniel has been on edge the past two days and I can tell that he is getting cabin fever being locked up in the suite all day. He is fidgeting nervously, antsy at being still on the couch, and distracting me from my show. We have been on the couch for five hours now watching crime documentaries and Daniel has been making faint sighs of disapproval all day. He has asked me multiple times to do something other than wasting our time on the couch, and I have told him that if Alan wants to halt my productivity in the Animus, then I am going to enjoy my time to myself.

Daniel sighs exuberantly, and I glare at him. "Is this going to be an all-day thing, or do you have other forms of torture in store for me?"

"How else do you propose I spend my day?" I ask him.

He shrugs, "I don't know, training with Rizzo would be more productive than watching forensic documentaries all day long."

"But it's not as fun as watching people make sloppy mistakes while murdering people." I tell him and he slumps down in his seat. "If it is so painful spending time with me, then leave. I can have Lilly come back and watch me."

"If she comes and watches you, then she won't be able to fix the Animus, and you will never be able to get your revenge on Bill." He retorts.

"If you wanted to stay, you could have just said so. Didn't have to bring William into this." I tease and he rolls his eyes. He stands up and paces around the room for a moment, trying to figure out what to do. "I don't care what plan you come up with. I am not leaving this place."

"Why are you being so difficult." He groans.

"Because I have been given a day off for the first time since I was ten years old. I am going to savor every moment of it." I say to him and he returns with a pressed expression. He exhales and sits back down on the couch next to me and we continue to watch the documentary.

After an episode about a man who drowns his wife in their pool I turn to Daniel. "If you want to get out of here so badly, let's go swimming." I tell him.

"We don't have a pool here." He returns.

"No, but there is a hotel up the street that does."

"It's for hotel guests."

"Always one to follow the rules." I say to him. I get up and go into my room. He stiffens, wondering if he should follow me, but decides to stay on the couch. I get dressed in a bikini and put on a short bright emerald summer dress over it. I return to Daniel, "I am leaving now. If you want to join me, you can. In fact, you probably should. Wouldn't want me having an episode and murdering a family on their vacation." I say and Daniel does not retaliate. Without a word, he gets up off the couch and follows behind me.

We walk into the hotel and go straight into the pool without anyone batting an eye. Daniel is walking around suspiciously, thinking that we are going to get kicked out, while I blend in with the vacation goers with my big sunglasses and floppy straw hat.

Once we are in the pool, I set out my towel and lie down, stripping my outer clothes. A man comes up to me and asks for my drink order. I tell him I will have a mimosa and Daniel will have a water. I warn him that Daniel is a recovering alcoholic and to keep the drinks away from him. The man doesn't know how to respond and I tell him to bill the room flashing him the key card. When the man walks away, Daniel gives me an inquisitive look. "I swiped it off the woman that was being a real bitch to the front desk staff." I explain to him and he shakes his head.

I lie back moaning as I soak up the sun. The beams of sunlight hit my skin and I instantly feel revival. I sink into my chair and soak up the sun's rays. I feel eyes on me and I glance over to see Daniel still fully dressed standing stiff next to me. "Daniel, when you were in the Assassin's Creed, did they not teach you how to blend in?" I ask him.

Daniel stiffens at the comment and I can tell that he does not take the joke lightly. "This is dangerous, we have no idea who these people are and what kind of threat they pose to us." He says lowly.

"Daniel," I say to him as I look at him through the brim of my sunglasses, "I think two mentally unstable trained killers are more of a threat to these people than they are to us." The man hands me my drink and I thank him. He goes and hands Daniel his water and he hesitantly takes it from the tray. "Sit down, relax, get undressed, and go for a swim. For a few hours today, pretend you have the life that you would have had if Abstergo never found you." I say taking a sip of the mimosa. "Oh, that's good," I exclaim.

Daniel takes a moment to listen to my advice, but after a while of mulling it over in his mind, he decides to loosen his tense demeanor. He sits down on one of the chairs next to me and begins taking off his shoes. I close my eyes and begin basking in the sun as the hot sunrays massage into my skin. I hear the clinking of a belt buckle and look over at Daniel. He is turned away from me and I watch as he undresses down to his swim trunks. His shirt is off and I look onto his body. He is a lot more built than I had pictured him on top of me. The idea brings a tingling sensation down my back and I remove the idea from my mind. Daniel turns from me and sees me watching him undress.

"Going in the pool?" He asks me in a hoarse tone.

"No, I am going to tan." I tell him and he rolls his eyes. I watch him as he dives into the pool. I smile as he comes up and there is a slight smile on his face. I don't think I have ever seen Daniel smile with pure joy before.

I lean my head back and release my mind of all thoughts, letting nothing but the sound of the moving water occupy my mind.

I feel drops of water hitting my body. I open my eyes, and after a moment of adjusting I look up to see a wet Daniel hovering over me. "You've been asleep for 40 minutes. You're getting red." He says simply. I look down and see that my body is starting to get red on my shoulders and chest. I move to flip over on my stomach when Daniel continues, "Are you going to get in the water? It's really nice."

I look around to see that there is no one else by the pool. "No thanks, I am enjoying myself plenty." I tell him. I go to turn over when I see a wicked smile come across Daniel's face. I instantly know what he is going to do, and I try to stagger away from him, but he grabs me and picks me up into a fireman's hold over his shoulder. "Daniel, don't you dare." I threaten him as he walks me to the edge of the pool.

"You said you wanted to go swimming." He teases.

"Put me down!" I yell and him, and he laughs.

"If you insist," he says tossing me into the freezing water. I am able to grab him while he tosses me and drag him into the pool with me. I swim to the surface of the pool, spitting out the water that made its way into my mouth. Daniel comes to the surface with a proud smile on his lips. I send him a hateful glare and he returns with a loud laugh. I have never heard him laugh uncontrollably from so much happiness and I can't help but smile at the sight.

I push a wall of water in his face and he ducks down into the water. I look around for him when he grabs my waist and drags me underwater. I open my eyes under water to look at him but am returned with the sight of my mother's lifeless face in the car. I kick and scream until I am able to push myself out of the deep end of the pool. I walk out of the pool and grab my towel to dry.

Daniel comes rushing over to me with a concerned look painted on his face. "Are you okay?"

I push him away from me, "I am fine, I just saw…" I trail off not able to say it.

Daniel exhales as he realizes what he has done. "Amelia, I am so sorry. I wasn't thinking. I was just trying to be spontaneous."

"Daniel it's fine." I tell him before he can apologize anymore. "Let's not let anything ruin this day." I tell him and he nods at me with an apologetic smile.

For the rest of the day until the sun sets, Daniel and I enjoy our time at the resort, pretending to have mundane lives. We continue to drink off of someone else's tab, Daniel continues to swim in the pool while I sit on the edge swishing my legs in the water. I take in a deep breath and allow myself to believe that this is my life every day.

We return to the suite and are greeted by my sister sitting in the living room. "There you two are," she calls out in relief. "I was worried about you guys. I couldn't find you anywhere in the compound, no one had seen you two, and I was a few moments away from contacting Alan and telling him you two were missing."

"Lil, relax." I tell her. "We went to the pool up the street."

She looks at me with a confused look, and rather than inquiring about our day she says, "The Animus should be ready for use in a day or two. I've told Alan and he is excited to have you back at work."

I look over at Daniel and he gives me a sad smile. He knows now that I am not eager to return to the Animus and Andre's memories. Having this time off has made me really relish the life I could have had.

"I spoke with Rizzo as well and he wants you to join him in training tomorrow." She says and I nod once at her.

"Ok, I will train with Rizzo tomorrow and enter the Animus the next day." I say solemnly.

Daniel clears his throat, "I should probably shower. I'll head out." He says uncomfortably as he leaves the suite.

My sister watches him cautiously as he leaves and once he closes the door behind him, she turns her attention to me. "Where have you been all day?" she asks.

I exhale and take a second to decompress. I frown at the idea that my vacation is over. "Daniel was getting stir crazy being stuck here all day, so I suggested we go swimming at the hotel up the street." I tell her and she gives me a puzzled look. "Look, Lil, you wanted me to take a break from the Animus, what did you expect me to do? I sat around here twiddling my thumbs for long enough. I had the opportunity to leave, and I did. I was in no harm because my handler was by my side the whole time." I tell her.

"I am just worried about you. You are doing so well outside of the Animus. I feel like I have my sister back… and I just don't want to lose that."

"You're not going to lose me, Lilly." I tell her, "I am doing fine, and when I return to the Animus, I will continue to do fine. I just needed to get out and have some fun for once."

She smiles up at me. "I know, Mila. I am glad that you are able to have some time out of the Animus for fun. Even if it is with Daniel." She says with a laugh.

"Turns out he is not that terrible when he gets some sun." I say teasingly and she laughs. I take off my hat and place it on the couch. "Have you heard anything from Juhani?" I ask her in a more serious tone and her smile leaves her face.

"Uh…" she lets out. "No, I haven't. He hasn't checked in since his initial arrival." She says in a flat tone and I frown.

"No one from Sigma Team has responded?"

"No," she says. "Last I heard, we were trying to contact for an update, and there has been no response." She says in a sad tone.

"Do you know what his mission was?" I ask her. "He told me it was a simple reconnaissance mission, but if it was, he would have checked in by now."

"No," she says simply. "He never told me what the mission was." I frown and she looks up at me with sad eyes. "He will be fine, Mila. He will be home in no time."

I don't say anything back to her and I make my way to my room where I go take a shower. I lean up against the wall of the shower remembering the day that Juhani came back from his mission from Florence when is face was badly burned. I remember the utter fear and helplessness I felt when I saw him scarred in such a way. I remember wanting to hold him and wanting to be alone with him, but when he was recovered from the drop point, they rushed him to the hospital and I wasn't able to see him for weeks. And now here I am, feeling helpless again as I wonder if he will be safe once again.

I try not to think about Juhani hurt or worse, and try to think about him coming back to me, telling me that his mission was as ordinary as my time outside of the Animus.

I walk in the living room to see my sister's door open. I walk into her room and she is sitting at her desk writing on a note pad. I look around the room and see the chess set sitting on her dresser. "Want to play?" I ask her and she looks over at me, follows my gaze to the set, then smiles.

I take the set from her dresser and place it on the kitchen table. I begin to set up the pieces. The set was given to us by our parents to play, and it is an extravagant set with white and black glass pieces, intricately blown to resemble each piece fantastically. Another set like it doesn't exist since our father had a glass blower custom make the pieces. Lilly hands me a quarter to use for the missing white Bishop piece. I ask her where the piece is and she says she lost it while in college. I frown at the idea of the incomplete set our parents gave us.

We begin playing as she plays with the white pieces and I play with the black. I curl my legs up in my chair and she leans onto the table in concentration. We play around for a while. Our pieces dancing around one another as we try to evade one another's advances. She is conservative in her play whereas I am more aggressive. It isn't long until all her pawns are gone and she begins playing with her next level pieces.

I watch her as she rubs her lip looking pensively down at the board. She is worried and it brings a smile to my face. She has a Bishop, a Rook, and her King left. I look down at the board and see that all I have left is my Knight, Bishop, and King. She hovers over her Rook, trying to place him out of the line of fire from my Knight. She knows that there is no way to escape my Knight and decides to take it with her King. As soon as she lets go of her King she lets out a groan as she sees my Bishop. I smile and take the King from the board and hand it to her. "Bishop takes King."

"Fuck," she lets out with a sigh. "You usually take the game with the Knight, since when do you use the Knight as bait for your Bishop?"

"You know me well. You know my strategies. I knew you were going to watch my Knight like a hawk, expecting me to use him. So, I used the Bishop to gain my advantage."

"Time?" She asks."

I look at my watch, "2 hours and 18 minutes."

"Jesus," she lets out, "I usually demolish people within 30 minutes."

"Well for 2 of those hours we were just dancing with our pieces." I laugh and she does the same.

"You are the only person who has ever beat me at this game." She says with a smile.

"You are the only person who has been enough competition for me." I return.

"Remember when mom used to teach us how to play this game?"

"I think that's why I am so good at this game." I tell her. She always pounded the importance of each of the pieces."

"But the Bishop was always her favorite." Lilly says.

" 'The Bishop always has the King's ear. It makes him the most dangerous.' " I quote our mother and Lilly smiles at the memory.

"And the Knight was always Dad's favorite piece." She says, "That's probably why you favor the Knight so much. You are so much like him." She says almost in a sad tone.

"You know I am not that much like him." I tell her and she looks up at me. "I may have come off harsh these past few months that I have been working with Andre's memories, but that is not me." I tell her, "I am supportive of you, no matter what." I say to her and she shrugs unconvincingly. "Lil, no matter what." I stress to her and she looks at me with pressed brows.

"You know?" She asks, without saying it.

"Yes," I tell her, "I know." I shake my head, "I am so sorry I was so dense not to notice before. I have been so self-centered." She wheels her chair over to me and brings up her arms. I fall to my knees and give her a tight hug. "I love you, Lil. You're my sister and I will always love you." Lilly cries quietly in my shoulder and I rub her back trying not to cry myself. We spend the rest of the night talking about a girl that she met in college who she keeps in touch with every now and then. She tells me that she was her first love and their story reminds me a lot of mine and Juhani's. I find myself smiling at her account of the girl, and I hope to meet her one day.

The following day I wake up early, despite staying up all night talking with Lilly. I go to my session with Rizzo and he eagerly waits for me in the morning. We begin our session, and after a quick warm up, we begin sparring. It is not long into my sparring session that I realize how much my body has deteriorated since being out of the Animus. I am not as quick as I once was, and Rizzo is able to get in a lot more shots than he was before. I get frustrated at his advances and Rizzo reminds me to stay calm and balanced.

I see Daniel stroll in after a few hours and he looks weathered and tired. He never showed up last night after he left, and I just chocked it up as him wanting to sleep in his own bed for the night. His eyes flash to me and he shoots me a tired smile. I wave at him and continue my session with Rizzo.

"How are you and Daniel doing now that Alan has you two spending more time together?" Rizzo asks.

"Better," I tell him as I swing at him. "I have learned not to be so aggressive, and Daniel has learned not to be so annoying." I jest as Rizzo swings at me.

"Well that's good to hear." I block his hit. "It's a shame that you had to be sidelined right when we got a lead on William Miles. Sigma Team could have used you and Daniel extracting him."

I back away from Rizzo looking at him with wide eyes, "Sigma Team is retrieving William Miles?" I ask him and Daniel looks over at me, hearing me.

"I thought you knew." He says lowering his stance. "Juhani and the others were deployed to capture William Miles in Cairo while he separated from the group to retrieve the power source." I look up at Daniel who has now walked up to us. He looks just as shocked as I do. "I am sorry, I thought you knew. Lilly was the one who found the location of the power source and learned that William was after it. I figured she told you."

"What?" I let out and Daniel tells me to stay calm. I feel my blood boil and I clench my fists tightly. I try to compose myself as best as I can but I cannot believe that my sister looked me in the fucking eyes and lied about Juhani's location and mission. "I have to go." I say under my breath as I stomp out of the gym.

Daniel follows on my heels calling out to me, "Amelia, take a breath before you do something you're going to regret."

I do not engage him, and instead I head to Alan's office. Daniel follows behind me trying to stop me, but I will not let him stop me. I shove the door to his office open and it slams against the wall. Alan and Warren sit in his office talking. They both look up in shock when they see me barge in.

"Amelia, what in the hell—"

"Why the fuck didn't you tell me that Sigma Team was moving against William Miles?" I interrupt him. Alan's eyes widen and he looks between me and Daniel. "Why weren't we informed?" I ask him. "Why did you send Juhani and Violet instead of me?"

"Child, calm yourself and bring yourself to composure." He says slowly, afraid of what I might do to him.

"Why wasn't Daniel informed about the mission? Why wasn't I informed of the mission? Why am I learning about this mission now?" I begin yelling, "Why didn't Lilly tell me she found William?" I find myself feeling betrayed more by her than Alan. I expect this from Alan, but not from my own sister.

"How could I have trusted you and Daniel with a mission of this import?" Alan returns in an offensive tone. "You and Daniel have been nothing but failures in your missions. Why on Earth would I entrust you two in this matter?" He spits, "Lilly located the final power source and found evidence that William would attempt retrieval unaccompanied. This was our opportunity to move against the Assassins and I couldn't have you two fuck it up!"

I look back at Daniel and he looks just as angry and shocked as I do. "Sigma Team hasn't reported back in 5 days." I say to him. "Send us in for recovery."

"Absolutely not." He says lowly. "Sigma Team is calculative and patient. They don't go in guns blazing allowing their targets to run off while they share a pathetic kiss in the courtyard together." He spits and I look at him wide eyed. He scoffs at my reaction. "I pulled the surveillance from the mission in Brazil." He approaches me and Daniel moves between us, detected Alan as a threat against me. Alan looks Daniel up and down with hostility "I saw your kiss." He spits, "This silly infatuation you two have developed for one another ends now." He says sternly and Daniel clenches his jaw tightly, holding himself back from striking Alan. I look over at Warren who stays quiet in the corner, unable to stand against Alan. "You two allowed a top priority Templar target to go because you couldn't control yourselves." He says looking at me, "So why would I send you on another mission where you two can just fuck it up?"

I want to yell at him and I want to attack him, but I hold myself back and lower my head. I know that no matter how much I fight Alan on this, he is still going to hold the power to keep William Miles from me. If I want any chance of taking William's life, I will have to play nice with Alan. I look up at him and with pleading eyes I quietly say, "Let me have him." Alan looks down at me with curious eyes. "Let me have him when Sigma Team returns him here."

Alan's eyes soften and he lets out an exuberant sigh. He extends his arms out to me for a hug. Daniel stiffens at the motion, still holding himself as a barrier between Alan and myself, worried that Alan will strike me. I give Daniel an excepting nod and he reluctantly moves out of the way, watching Alan with cautious eyes. I allow Alan's gesture of truce, burring my face in his chest as I used to do what I was a child. "Of course, sweet girl." Alan says patting my head, "I promise you that we will deliver William to justice for what he did to your father." He pulls me away from him and smiles at me. "I am sorry that I am hard on you, little one. I just expect so much from you. I want you to make me proud." He pulls me away from him and rubs my cheek. "Patience, sweet girl. Sigma Team will return with William, and we will have justice for Dalton."

I nod up at him and leave his office defeated. Daniel follows behind me and doesn't say anything. I turn to him and look up at him. His eyes are soft and he looks at me with a sad expression. "Do you think he is telling the truth?" I ask Daniel and he does not say anything to me, and he doesn't have to; his expression says it all. Daniel does not trust Alan's promise, and I wonder if I should.

For the rest of the day, I decide to train with Rizzo and pretend that every strike I take is a strike against my soon approaching target. Everything that I have been working for is coming to a head if Sigma Team is able to bring in William Miles.

Once my session with Rizzo is complete, Daniel escorts me back to my suite. He clears his throat as I begin unlocking the door. I look back at him and after some hesitation, he finally says, "Don't take it out on Lilly. She kept William from you to keep you safe. She cares about you."

I swallow hard at his comment and open the door to the suite. I look back at Daniel and in a flat tone I say, "I am going to make some dinner tonight for my sister and I. Care to join us?"

Daniel hesitates, not expecting that response from me and says, "I don't think so. I should probably head to my place—"

"Oh, come on, Daniel. Amelia is a great cook." I look back and see my sister emerge from her bedroom. I look back at Daniel for an answer.

"It's fine, really. I can just eat at the cafeteria."

"The cafeteria food is shit." I tell him. "I'm making porkchops at 7. Go home and shower, and we will see you here when you're done."

Daniel looks back and forth between my sister and I. After a moment of mulling it over, he finally sighs and says that he will come. He leaves for his suite and I close the door behind him.

I jump in the shower for a quick rinse off, then get dressed in some comfortable clothing to begin dinner. My sister sits and watches as I prepare the meat and sides. She is quiet and I wonder if I should tell her that I know she lied to me last night about Juhani's whereabouts. I feel so betrayed by her; she of all people knowing how much William's life means to me, and she of all people kept this mission a secret from me. Both her and Juhani kept this mission from me and I feel a piercing sting of betrayal coming from them both.

Daniel enters the suite while I am cooking the meet. He inhales deeply and says, "Smells amazing." I smile at him and he continues. "Jazz music?" he asks as the stereo in the living room plays Jazz.

"Mila listens to Jazz when she cooks." Lilly explains. "Our mother used to do the same thing. That's why I love when she cooks." Lilly smiles up at me and I give her a quick smile back, turning away from her to focus on the food.

"Well thank you for cooking." Daniel says. "I appreciate the gesture."

"Think of it as payment for watching over me this past week." I tell him and he flashes me a sideways smile.

After a few minutes of cooking, Daniel helps me set the table and we sit down to eat. It isn't long until Daniel devours his entire plate, and I hand him my leftovers as I am unable to eat all of my food. I feel myself getting nauseous at the idea of Juhani taking on William, and I cannot help but think that William bested Juhani and he is dead or taken hostage by the Assassins.

"How was training with Rizzo?" Lilly speaks up over the quiet dinner table.

I look over at Daniel across the table and he gives me a look that tells me to keep my thoughts to myself, but I find myself unable to do so. "It was great." I tell her in a flat and expressionless tone. I look over at her and say, "He said it was a real shame I couldn't join Sigma Team in retrieving William Miles."

Daniel drops his head and shakes it in disappointment at me. I watch my sister's expression turn from a gentle smile to shock. She begins stumbling over her words, trying to explain herself, but I stop her before she can say anymore. "I don't want to start a fight with you, Lilly." I tell her, "But the next time you get a lead on the man that killed our father, I'd like to be made aware." I tell her in spite.

"Please excuse me," Lilly says quietly with her head down as she wheels herself from the kitchen and into her room.

"Was that necessary?" Daniel asks me and I roll my eyes. "She is protecting you, Amelia." He says in a flat tone. "You are nowhere near prepared to take on someone as well trained as William Miles." I stand up and take mine and Lilly's plates from the table, trashing the leftover food and placing the dishes in the sink. "I know it's a hard pill to swallow," Daniel continues as I begin cleaning the dishes. "Trust me, how do you think it makes me feel knowing that I have been replaced by a younger, stronger, and more stable version of myself?" I look over at Daniel with sad eyes and he shrugs. "I am not the star that I used to be. And you're not as strong as you think you are. It may feel like you can take on the world. But you can't, and taking on William will just get you killed."

I finish cleaning the dishes and wipe my hands. I look over at Daniel who is looking down at his hands as he picks at his callouses. "Do you have enough blankets?" I ask him and he simply nods at me. I tell him that I am going to bed and I will see him in the morning. I close the door to my bedroom and let out a built-up breath of air.

Hours pass and I am unable to fall asleep. My mind is wandering and all I can think about is Juhani and my sister not telling me about this mission, even though they knew how important this was to me. I think about Alan's promise to me and I wonder if I can trust him to stay true to it. When Sigma Team eventually brings William back to headquarters, how long will it take until Alan finally gives me permission to take William's life?

I toss around in my bed thinking about my father, trying to wrap the memories I have in my head versus the memories I was shown in the Animus. I have never questioned the validity of the memoires that the Animus shows me, but with my memories of the night being vastly different from those of my father's, I wonder how the night actually played out. The Animus made me feel my father's distain towards me, and his favoritism towards Lilly. The feeling burns and I do not remember him seeing me in such a light. For the past thirteen years since his death, I have done everything Alan has asked me in the hopes that I would take the life of the man who robbed my father of his, but what was it all for if the man himself detested me so much?

I hear a crash in the living room and my body jolts up with shock. My heart beats quickly and I pull the covers from my body. I rush to the living room where I see Daniel pacing back and forth in nothing but his underwear with his shoulders tensed and hunched over. His fists are clenched, and the veins in his arms are bulging to the surface. He is whispering to himself and I cannot make out what he is saying.

"Daniel?" I call out to him. "Are you alright?" I ask him. He doesn't respond to me and I move over towards him. I put my hand on his tense shoulder, and he whips over to look at me with glossy expressionless eyes. I stagger away from him, realizing that he is fully engulfed in the Bleeding Effect.

"Anna?" He asks me as he approaches me. He begins approaching me in a taunting way, speaking Russian under his breath. I try to call out to him and bring him from the episode, without touching him. He backs me up into a corner of the living room, quietly whispering in Russian and I feel utterly trapped and scared.

"Daniel, can you hear me? Snap out of it." I beg him as I feel increasingly helpless as he towers over me having me cornered.

Before I can think, he quickly grabs my neck, slamming my head against the wall. His hand is large and engulfs my entire neck within his grasp. He begins clenching his fingers tightly against my neck, and I can feel my airways closing.

I begin to panic and have to get out of his grip. I thrash in his grip, but he just tightens his fingers, hurting me more. I kick him in the shin and he shouts in pain as he lets me go. I begin running to Lilly's room calling out her name, when Daniel grabs my arm and slams me to the ground. He comes crawling on top of me and I kick him in the face, smashing his nose. Blood begins gushing from his nose and he looks more frantic and angrier now.

I try to crawl away from him, but he grabs my legs and drags me towards him. I begin hitting him in the face, scratching him frantically trying to get him off of me.

"Amelia!" I hear my sister yell as she wheels over towards the commotion.

"Lilly stay back!" I yell at her as I try to push Daniel off of me. "The Bleeding Effect." I tell her as he swings at me, hitting my jaw.

"Daniel!" Lilly calls out to him. "Daniel you're here with us! You're experiencing the Bleeding Effect. You need to come back to us!" Daniel doesn't respond to Lilly's cries and I continue to try to fight him off of me.

Lilly wheels closer to Daniel, tugging on his shoulders trying to get him off of me. Daniel feels her on him and he turns to her. He shoves her off of him, knocking her into our glass coffee table, causing it to shatter. Lilly is knocked out of her wheelchair and it rolls across the living room. My sister falls to the ground, surrounded in glass shards. "Lilly!" I call out to her. Daniel begins crawling off of me and heading towards Lilly. I begin to feel panic overcome me as I realize that Lilly will not be able to fight back against Daniel.

I kick Daniel in the ribs so his attention is off of my sister and back on me. He looks over at me with wild hate as he pins my arms down with his knees and sits on my chest, making it hard to breathe. He places his hands back on my neck and begins strangling me as hard as he can. He whispers a word over and over as he strangles me. A word that I have learned from watching a few Russian movies that translates to: _die_.

I am able to maneuver one of my arms from under his knees and I reach for a shard of glass just out of arm's reach. I extend my arm and my fingers as far as I can extend them in the hopes to reach the shard of glass.

"Amelia, no!" My sister cries out seeing what I am reaching for. "You'll kill him! He doesn't know what he is doing!"

I know that if I don't stab Daniel with this piece of glass, he will strangle me to death. I continue to reach for the piece of glass. "Daniel please! Stop hurting her! It's just Mila! It's Amelia!" My sister cries out, helpless to do anything outside of her chair.

Daniel does not listen to her and continues to tighten his grip on me. I continue to reach out for the piece of glass and my sister continues to cry out to me, telling me not to hurt him. I begin to lose power over my body and my vision begins to blur. I try to plead with my eyes to Daniel, hoping that looking at him will make him snap out of it and realize what he is doing, but he does not. His eyes are cold and empty, and Daniel is not in there. I turn away from him, not able to see his cold dead eyes as the last thing I see before I go.

I look over at my sister as she cries hysterically, unable to look at me as I begin to fade. I look away from her as the blood vessels in my eyes begin to burst and my vision begins to turn red.

Everything begins to fade, and I can no longer hear Lilly's sobs and Daniel's commands from me to die. I begin to go lifeless and all the pain passes. The last thing I feel are lips pressed to my ear and with a cold chill, I hear my father's voice say, "Fight back." Then everything goes black.


	6. Death

**Another long chapter for you guys! Let me know what you guys think!**

* * *

 **Death**

 _The man charged at Dalton with his tiny blade. The Templar smiled at the silly man. Once the Assassin was close, Dalton pulled out his gun and shot the Assassin, his body had fallen limp. Another had come at Dalton, kicking the gun out of his hands. Dalton tried grabbing the Assassin, but he was quicker than Dalton and punched him square in the jaw. Dalton grew angry in the moment; a red rage had filled him and his primal instinct to kill kicked in._

 _Dalton had grabbed the Assassin by the arm as their hidden blade was extended. Dalton had grabbed onto the blade, slicing his palm in the process. He bent the blade before the Assassin could retract it, and pulled it out of its mechanism. Dalton turned the blade onto his attacker and began viciously stabbing the man in the neck, showering Dalton in his blood. Dalton had smiled in that moment, reveling in the success of his kill._

 _Once Dalton was sure the man was dead, he dropped the knife and the body onto the ground. He looked over at his partner's shocked face. "I am going to need one hell of a shower." The Knight jested. His partner pursed his lips disapprovingly and Dalton had grumbled. "Come, Rikkin. It was a joke."_

 _Alan Rikkin handed Dalton a handkerchief and Dalton took it. He had wiped his face and threw the handkerchief on the ground next to the dead Assassin._

 _"_ _I will call in the cleaners to handle this scene." Alan had said._

 _"_ _Have you spoken with the other Knights?" Dalton asked his friend. "Have they gotten over their pride over my actions?"_

 _"_ _The Order has not forgiven you for drafting a ceasefire with the Assassins, only to murder them all under the guise of a truce. You have created a domino effect of attacks against the Order because of it." Alan had hissed at his partner._

 _The Knight laughed triumphantly. "1,500 Assassins came into the conference thinking the Templars would Parle with them. It was the greatest slaughter against the Assassins our Order has ever seen." He said proudly._

 _"_ _It was unsanctioned by the Order." Alan spat. "Now the Council of Elders are in agreement. You must be punished for your actions."_

 _Dalton had laughed at the intent of his brother. "What will they do to me then? Strip me of the title of Grand Master? Take my life?" He welcomed their actions against him._

 _"_ _They call for sacrifice; to ensure your loyalty to the Order." Alan said. "If not completed, then they will take all they have provided for you."_

 _"_ _What sacrifice do they seek?" Dalton asked in an amused tone._

 _Alan hesitated to say it, evaluating his brother's potential hostile response. After some reluctance, Alan finally spoke up and said, "the Order wants your daughters."_

 _"_ _Amelia and Lilly?" Dalton had asked with a scoff. "They want me to kill my newborns?"_

 _"_ _Of course not." Alan had said in shock. "They do not wish any harm on the girls." Alan had hesitated. "Do understand, Angela has just given birth to two beautiful identical twin girls." He began. "With the looks of one such as Angela and the lineage of one as great and influential within the Order as yours, the girls are desired amongst those within the Order. It is a fascination many have with the twins."_

 _"_ _Spit it out, Alan. What does the Order intend on doing to my girls?" Dalton had asked hostilely._

 _"_ _They ask that you train the girls within the Order to become Knights as the rest of us. They ask that you maintain their virtue, and when they come of age, they are given to the Knights who brings forward the highest esteem and coin. All to be paid to you of course." Alan said quickly._

 _The Knight tensed, holding back his rage at the notion. "The Order wants me to whore my daughters out to the swine that pays the most for them?"_

 _"_ _Understand this," Alan had begun, "That if you do not agree to the terms, the life of you, your girls, and your wife…will be over."_

I breathe heavily as strands of hair fall in front of my face. Everything begins to come over me and I feel like I have been run over by a tank. Every square inch of my body aches as I try to get a hold of myself. I hear sobbing coming from the corner of the room and I moan as I try to move my head towards the noise.

"Lil—" I try to call out but my throat aches and my voice falls short.

"Amelia?" I hear my name being called by my sister. I try to move my head to where the voice is coming from, but it hurts like hell to move. "Amelia, is that you?" I lift my head and through strands of hair, I can see her cowering in a corner of the house.

I look around the house seeing the place a disaster, as though a tornado swiped through the home. The coffee table is broken, and glass is strewn across the house. The table and chairs are knocked over, there are various holes in the wall and there is blood all over the white tile. I look around and see Daniel slumped over next to the couch. I try to think of what happened but all I can remember back to is Daniel having an episode of the Bleeding Effect and trying to calm him down. Everything after that is extremely fuzzy.

I pull myself into a sitting position, moaning at the pain my body is in. "Lil… are you…okay?" I manage in a husky tone.

"I am fine, Mila." She says with a sob. "The Bleeding Effect…" She says and begins sobbing. I figure that Daniel must have experienced the Bleeding Effect that erupted in a fight.

I hear a groan come from Daniel and Lilly instantly tenses in fear. The sight makes my heart skip a beat, wondering if Daniel did something to hurt her. I look over at Daniel and he brings his hand to his head. His knuckles are bleeding and when he lifts is head I see blood around his nose, blood coming from his scalp, and three distinct scratch marks coming down the entire right side of his face.

He finally looks up at me and looks shocked at the sight of me. Judging by the look on his face and the way that I feel, I must look as beat up as him.

"Amelia…" He lets out in a shocked tone.

I look away from him and back at my sister. "Lil, what happened?" I ask her and she sits shaking her head.

"Daniel was gone…" she says sniffling. "He was strangling you." I swallow and wince at the pain on my neck. "I thought you died… but then you…weren't you." She begins sobbing. "you two started fighting and throwing each other around like I have never seen before. Your eyes were dead. You two were _gone_."

"Lilly," I start to crawl towards my sister but she puts her hands up in fear.

"Stay away from me!" She yells in fear.

"Lilly, it's just me." I implore her. She begins shaking in fear as she cries. I force myself up into a standing position, shaking at the pain in my body. I pick up Lilly's chair and wheel it over towards her. I try to help her into the chair but she recoils at my touch. She refuses to let me help her and I stand back and let her get into her chair on her own. Once she sits in her chair she instantly wheels herself into her room and locks herself in.

I look over at Daniel with a frown on my face. My sister utterly fears me and I don't remember anything that I did, but judging by the look of Daniel, it is clear that I did a lot. I walk over to him and extend my hand out to him. After a moment of hesitation, he takes my hand and I help him to his feet.

"Careful," he says quietly. "There is glass everywhere."

I look at him and scoff. "What's it going to do? Cut our feet more than they already are?" I say in a rough tone. I clear my throat and wince in pain. I slowly go to the broom closet and take out the broom and dustpan. I begin sweeping up the shards of glass while Daniel leans up against the wall holding his side and wincing in pain. I look where he is holding and the complete side of his ribs are bruised. "Tell me," I say to him. "Do I look as bad as you?"

"You look pretty fucking awful." Daniel says with a grunt. "Do you remember anything?"

I shake my head slightly, then wince, realizing that hurts too. "I remember you speaking Russian. Trying to calm you. Then everything is fuzzy. Like I blacked out." I whisper. "Do you?"

"No. Nothing." He says in a sad tone. He looks me up and down with his brows pressed together in complete sorrow. "I am so sorry, Amelia."

"It's fine, Daniel." I tell him. "From the looks of it… it was a fair fight." I try to laugh but my throat hurts too much.

Daniel watches me with remorseful eyes as I finish sweeping. He helps me bring the furniture back to its rightful place, and I figure that I will deal with the bloodstains and the holes in the walls tomorrow.

I exhale and plop down on the couch once we are finished with the majority of the cleaning. Daniel joins me, sitting next to me on the couch. He is quiet, and for a while, the entire room is deafeningly silent. I glance over at him and see him deep in thought. I watch him for a while until he finally notices my eyes on him and he returns my gaze. "So, it's never going to get better?" I finally ask him. "I am just going to be trapped being this ticking time bomb, ready to explode when I lose sight of my emotions?"

He turns away from me and thinks for a long moment. Finally, he turns back to me and says, "You'll get used to being alone. Separating yourself from everyone else keeps them safe."

"But I have Lilly that I have to take care of." I tell him.

"It'll be safer for her if you're away from her." Daniel says in a harsh tone.

I look away from him and onto the ceiling of the suite, watching the blade of the fan spin slowly. "Did you see the way she looked at me?" I say, "She was so afraid of me." I exhale as I let my body go limp onto the couch. "What is the point of it all?" I ask him still looking up at the ceiling. "I am destroying my body, I am destroying my mind, and I am destroying every healthy relationship I have developed." I look over at him now, "And after all of that sacrifice, she still looks at me like I am a monster. So, what's the point in pretending that I am not one."

"Why do you think I am such an asshole to everyone?" Daniel asks me. "People expect less from me this way."

I look away from Daniel and think about Alan. He is the reason that I am destroying everything around me. It is all because of his desire for my ancestor's memories. If it weren't for Alan, I would have a normal functioning relationship with my sister and not feel overwhelmed to find a fucking cup.

I think about what I want from my life, and what I have always expected of myself growing up, and it was never this. It was never bowing down to Alan and destroying my body for him. The more I think about it, the angrier I get knowing that everything I am doing now is to please Alan, and not to getting me closer to William. I glance over at Daniel who is looking down at his ribs, wincing in pain as he presses down on them. I think about what I can do to rebel against Alan and when I look at Daniel, I know exactly what I can do.

"I am sorry about that." I say to him and he shrugs.

"I am sure I deserved it." He lets out a rye chuckle.

"Daniel?" I ask him and he looks up at me. "When did you stop obeying Alan and Warren, and start thinking for yourself? What was your defining moment?" I ask him. He looks at me with an inquisitive look and I elaborate. "Recently, you have been more willing to go against their demands of you. The mission in Brazil for example."

It takes him a moment to answer, and judging by the look on his eyes, I don't think he will answer when he finally says, "I will still serve the Order as best as I can," He begins, "But when Alan and Warren showed me that my life wasn't their first concern, I made their demands my second one." He looks away from me stretching his neck and exhaling as it pops. "I guess the defining moment was when I saw Alan dangle the idea of William in front of you so you'll do anything he asks of you. It's obvious that he isn't going to let you have him. And yet he still promises him to you." I look at him with sad eyes and he returns the gaze. "It was in that moment I realized that if he treated you like that, he didn't care about me either. We are just tools to them; to be used when needed, and put to the side when they break. Hence the reason Sigma Team is retrieving William and not you or I."

"What do you want then?" I ask him, "More than anything else, what would you wish for right now?"

Daniel thinks for a moment then after a while says, "A night knowing what it would be like if I never entered the Animus." I frown at the comment and he exhales heavily. "What about you?"

"To trade places with my sister the night she was paralyzed." I say to him and he presses his brows together in confusion. "That way I wouldn't feel guilty for getting out of that car unscathed that night." I look away from him. "I often fantasize about that night, and wish to go back and have it been me. Maybe Alan wouldn't hound me so much if I were her."

Daniel doesn't know what to say so he just stays quiet and stiff. Finally, Daniel says, "Maybe if you tell Alan that you're experiencing the Bleeding Effect, he won't be on you so hard." He says and I let out a humorless laugh.

"He will just do what he did to you, and put me in a coma to wrench out my memories." I say harshly and he tenses at the comment. I realize how harsh that was and I place my hand on his thigh as a good gesture, but it just makes him tense more.

He places his hand on mine, and pulls it away from his thigh. I look up at him and he tries to look away from me. "Do you ever fantasize about rebelling against Alan?" I ask Daniel and he doesn't respond, and simply watches me warily. "Alan is a piece of shit." I say harshly, "and I often think about ways to defy him. Sometimes in the way I dress, sometimes in what I do or say." I pull myself closer to Daniel. "I can think of something that will make him livid." I say placing my hand on Daniel's thigh and he tenses his jaw.

"No," He simply says as I approach him. I pull away from him in confusion. "I am not doing this if it's a petty trick to get to Alan."

"It's not just that. Ever since our kiss in Brazil—"

"It _is_ just that, Amelia." Daniel says in a stern tone. "You can try to mask it anyway you want it. And you might have some attraction to me. But don't think I am an idiot not to know that right here and right now, all you want to do is get back at Alan, above anything else."

"It's not like you won't get anything out of it." I return annoyedly. "Satisfaction against Alan as well as satisfaction for yourself." His jaw tenses and I continue. "I know you have enjoyed spending time with me this week, and I am not blind to your wandering eyes. I know you desire me as much as I do you. So, what does it matter _why_ we do this?"

Daniel's jaw tenses and I can see the muscles in his jaw pulse at the suggestion. He hesitates for a moment, contemplating his next move, playing out every scenario in his head to see what will give him the best result. I grow tired of his wariness and move towards him. I turn towards him on the couch, swinging my leg over him and straddling him while he sits on the couch. He looks up at me with a heavy gulp and I smile down at him. His hands shake, and I grab them and place them on my hips.

"And if you want to focus on the 'why', then tell yourself that it's because you deserve some fucking gratification." I tell him. Daniel looks up at me with his brows pressed together, wondering if he should let himself indulge. I place my hand on his cheek. "When was the last time you felt something, Daniel? When was the last time you felt human?" Daniel doesn't answer me, but I can feel him rising between my thighs. I know that he wants me and I know that he desires me. All I am waiting for is him to make the move. I watch him carefully, falling deeply into his icy blue eyes. He scans my expression over and over, trying to find a reason not to do this, but after having an argument with himself internally, his desire finally wins.

He presses his lips against mine and I instantly recoil in pain. I touch my lip and feel a slit from my lip being split open. It must have happened in my fight with Daniel. He looks at me with concerned eyes and I let out a chuckle. I approach him slowly and lightly press my lips against his. He inhales my scent and moans with pleasure, sending a surge through my body. His hands grab onto my hips tightly and he positions me where he wants me.

His lips move from mine to explore my chest. I pull away from him and remove my shirt, exposing my breasts to him. He stops what he is doing for a moment and admires the view for a moment. He takes my breasts in his palms and presses his lips to them, kissing them softly. After a moment of kissing me, he places his forearms under my thighs and lifts me and himself from the couch. He takes me to my room, kicking the door shut behind him.

He places me on the bed and I lie down looking up at him. He looks down at me with a slight satisfied smile on his face, as if he has fantasized about being in this position for years. He removes my shorts and his as he springs out of his boxers. The sight makes me shake with anticipation. He grabs onto the back of my knees and drags me to the edge of the bed. He climbs on top of me, pressing his body close to mine. He takes hold of my wrists violently and holds my arms down over my head. He holds tightly onto my wrists, digging them deeply into the mattress, as his body lies on top of mine completely taking over me. He pries open my legs with his knees and without needing to guide himself in, he aggressively presses himself into me. I let out a yelp at his sudden advancement. He empowers me, and I feel backed into a corner again as he towers over me once more. I feel helpless as he is in complete control of me and I am here for his enjoyment. His thrusts are slow and deep. Strands of blonde hair fall in front of his face and beads of sweat accumulate on his forehead.

I look up at him and he is unable to meet my gaze, either from guilt for the scars that he bestowed upon me, or the regret of having me under him altogether. I continue to moan in pleasure at his movements and feel him throbbing inside me. He releases my arms and I grab onto his chest as his thrusts become harder and slower. He holds in his breath and his face twists in pleasure as he climaxes. He presses his forehead to mine and I tangle my fingers in his hair as I grab him from the back of his head, pressing him closer to me. He lets out grunts of pleasure as his thrusts stop and my legs shake in-between him. I hug him close to me as he exhales deeply lying his head next to mine, pressing his lips against my ear as his uneven breaths rock his chest back and forth as he is pressed on top of me. For a moment, we lie here like this, not knowing what to say to one another.

The following morning, I wake up with a massive headache pounding in my skull. It takes me a moment to open my eyes and assess where I am. I look around the room, turning in the bed to see Daniel sleep next to me, turned away from me. I frown at the sight, realizing that it was not a dream. I turn away from him and get out of bed, making my way to the shower.

I turn on the water, and as I wait for it to heat up I look at myself in the mirror for the first time since our fight. I have a black eye on my right eye, the blood vessels in both my eyes have burst and the red blood emphasizes my green eyes, my bottom lip is busted and swollen, my jaw is bruised, and lastly there are two distinct handprints bruised into my throat from Daniel choking me. The sight is hard to see and I wonder how Daniel looked upon me last night, knowing that he inflicted all these injuries.

The mirror begins steaming and I head into the shower. The water is as always, scalding hot. I stand in the shower for a moment, allowing the water to wash away the dried-up blood on my body. I try not to think about what happened between Daniel and I last night, but the feeling of regret swells inside me as I realize what I have done.

After a moment in the shower, I turn the water off and wrap myself in a towel. I exit the warm bathroom and into the cold bedroom. I look over to the bed to see Daniel pull the covers off of him and pull up his boxers. He turns towards me and the same look of regret is painted on his face as well. I wonder if that look of regret stings him as much as the sight of him stings me.

He swallows hard looking over at me. "I…" he says slowly. "I…should go—"

"Yeah," I say before he can finish. He places his head down in shame at my eagerness to see him leave.

He heads out into the living room and puts the rest of his clothes on. I look out in the living room, seeing just how bad the carnage is in the day time. "Do you want help?" Daniel asks me, noticing my wandering eyes as he pulls on his jeans. "Cleaning the apartment?"

"No," I tell him, looking away from him. "I can do it."

He nods, moving to tying his boots. "I can come back—"

"I was actually thinking about spending time with Lilly today." I tell him, not being able to stand the day with him like this. Daniel simply nods again. "Maybe later tonight." I say.

"Of course." He says pulling his jacket on. "Let me know." I nod at him, and after staring at each other in silence for a moment, Daniel finally turns with an exhale and leaves for the door.

I exhale when he leaves and head back into my bedroom where I get dressed in a black long sleeve crop top that Alan hates because it shows my midriff, and high waisted black ripped jeans. I try putting on makeup to hide the marks on my neck but I am unable to do so. I am able to mask the black eye enough to not be so noticeable with a heavy amount of eyeliner and mascara. With this much makeup on, I no longer look like myself.

I notice that Lilly is not in her room and I figure that she is in the Animus room. So, I decide to head down that way. Once I enter the room, I see her typing on the computer. She looks back to see me enter the room and shoots a hateful glare my way. I exhale knowing that she is still mad at me.

"Morning." I tell her and she simply shakes her head. "Something wrong?" I ask her and she turns towards me.

"You are unbelievable, you know that?" She says harshly. "Are you able to spend an entire day, not being a horrible person?"

"What are you talking about?" I sigh in a defeated tone, not ready to fight.

"You and Daniel?" She says angrily.

"I am sorry that we fought like that and that we scared you—"

Lilly scoffs, "I am not talking about the Bleeding Effect, Amelia, I am talking about how you too slept with each other!" she calls out.

"Nothing happened," I tell her.

"Amelia," she says, "Your shirt was in the living room. He wasn't sleeping on the couch. My skills of deductions aren't that bad, but why don't I just add the fact that I fucking heard you two!" She yells and I put my head down. "What the hell were you thinking? Were you even thinking? What made you think that was a good idea? What about the fact that you hated Daniel? What about Juhani? How would he feel if he found out you fucked Daniel?"

"Stop!" I yell at her when she mentions Juhani, tears swelling in my eyes as I try to fight them from falling down my face. "It was a mistake and we both regretted it instantly." I choke on my words. "I don't need your judgment, I have enough from myself."

"I thought you were doing better outside of the Animus, but last night…" she trails off.

"I am damaged, Lilly." I tell her. "The Animus fucked up my mind; it fucked up Daniel's, and there is no sugar coating it. I am not going to get better!" She shakes her head in disbelief. "I don't know what else to do, Lilly. You don't know what hell I have been put through inside that machine. What it feels like not to be in control of your own thoughts. Always having these voices in your head, whispering in your ear." My hands shake and I try to calm myself. "The last thing I need is you on my ass judging me for something I am already beating myself up over."

I exhale deeply and she looks away from me. We sit there for a moment, with nothing but the sound of the Animus humming to fill the room with its uninvited voice. I look over at her as she looks off into the distance captivated by her thoughts.

"Let's go somewhere?" She finally says looking up at me. I ask her where and she shrugs. "You and Daniel left for the hotel, and I could tell that you were happier and clearer headed. Maybe getting out of here will help get your mind off of everything?" She suggests and the idea sounds refreshing. "How about we go to the mall and spend some of Dad's money?" She says and I let out a chuckle.

"That's a great idea." I tell her and we head out of the compound without anyone's notice. I drive one of the Abstergo vehicles while Lilly sits next to me. We don't speak much in the car and just listen to the radio on our way downtown.

Once we are parked, I place the handicap sign on the rearview mirror and get out of the car to help Lilly with her chair. Once I help her out, I push her chair as we enter the vast building full of shops. I push her around while we window shop until we decide to enter a few stores. We enter a clothing store and I begin to look around. Lilly looks at all the clothes with a disapproving look on her face. "Everything is so…lowcut." She says critiquing the clothing.

"I know," I say longingly at all the clothes. "They are going to make Alan so angry." I say and she shakes her head at me. After picking out a few pieces of clothing, I pay with the Abstergo card, and take my bags. We leave the store and continue for another store.

We find a store that Lilly wants to go into and look around for a while. The clothes are less my style, as they are less revealing. I watch as Lilly looks at a brown leather jacket longingly. She checks the price tag of the jacket and returns it back to the rack. She goes to the next aisle of clothing and I pick up the jacket. While she is looking at other clothing, I take the jacket and pay for it.

Lilly says she is ready to leave and I show her the jacket. Her eyes widen at the sight. "Mila, you did not just buy that? It was over 300 dollars!" She exclaims.

"Of course I didn't buy it." I tell her. "Alan did." I pull out the card and she looks at it, asking me how I have his personal card and I explain to her that I swiped it off of him days ago. She is hesitant to make me return the jacket, but realizes that Alan has been an ass to us both, and we deserve a gift from him.

She puts on the jacket and it looks great on her. We continue through the mall until we pass a jewelry store where Lilly points something out. I look over and see two friendship necklaces with diamond ballerina shoes as the charm. I smile at her and we purchase the necklaces, putting them on instantly.

We leave the store and head towards the food court where we get pretzels and sit down at a table to eat. Lilly looks around anxiously for a moment while I lean back in my chair without a care in the world, kicking my feet up on another chair next to me. She looks over at me and whispers, "People are looking at us," with a concerned tone. I look around to see the people that she is talking about. "Do you think they could be Assassins?" She asks quietly.

I let out a chuckle and lean back in my chair. "Lil, they are staring at us because you're in a wheel chair and I have distinct hand marks on my throat, a black eye, and a busted lip. They probably think someone is beating us, but don't care enough to ask." I say absentmindedly and she lets out a sigh eating her pretzel.

We sit in the food court for a while watching people live out their mundane lives. I look over at Lilly, watching her fiddle with her new necklace. She senses my gaze on her and looks at me. I exhale and ask, "If we weren't born into the Order and you could have been anything, what would you have chosen?"

She looks away from me, thinking for a moment while chewing on her lip and playing with her necklace, then says, "A ballerina." I look down at her legs and frown. She holds the necklace in her hands and continues. "I remember watching the Nutcracker every December since we were three. I remember wanting so badly to be like one of the girls on that stage. I remember asking Dad if I could be a ballerina like one of them when I was eight." She frowns at the memory. "He told me that it was meaningless to focus so much on a delusion that would never happen. He told me that he had better plans for me within the Order." I frown at the exchange she had with our father and she shakes the memory out of her head. "What about you? What did you want to be?"

I exhale thinking about what I wanted more than anything. "I wanted to have the most mundane career that I could have possibly found. I wanted to be like an accountant or something." Lilly laughs and I continue, "I am being serious!" I tell her. "I wanted something so plain. A nine to five desk job where the most concerning thing about my life was if my shit dental was going to cover the root canal I needed." Lilly shakes her head laughing at my dream job. "I think about it a lot. Wishing that meaningless existence was my own. That I would come home to some cats and TV dinner, binging some awful sitcom they talk about at work." I swallow hard at the idea. "No one expects amazing things from me that way." I say and Lilly looks up at me with sad eyes. "I know that had I told Dad that I wanted that life, I am sure he would have had the same reaction."

Lilly swallows hard at my comment and I look at her with cautious eyes. "Dad wanted a lot from us." I tell her. "He wanted us to be great fighters, not dancers or accountants."

Lilly shakes her head and a look of disgust fills her eyes. I ask what is it and she shakes her head. "Dad wanted awful things from us." She lets out and I ask her to explain. "You don't remember the night of the car accident—"

"Actually," I interject. "The seizure that I had from the Animus that Daniel pulled me out of, was because I entered Dad's memories of the night."

Lilly looks at me with wide angry eyes. "What the hell were you thinking?" She calls out, "You know you shouldn't go into the memories of ancestors so close to our timeline. Let alone one we lived with! The side effects are completely unknown."

"I know," I stop her from going on. "But after that night that you said I didn't remember the night for what it was, I had to go back and see it from a different perspective." I swallow hard at the memory and Lilly watches me wearily. "Dad killed Mom?" I ask and she nods, confirming what I saw. I clench my jaw at the idea. "She was having an affair." I say trying to justify our father's acts against our mother.

Lilly scoffs at the comment. "Mom was not having an affair." She says and I look at her questioningly. "I overheard Mom talking to someone on the phone the day before we left for the Nutcracker. She overheard Dad telling Alan some awful things about us, and she wanted to get us away from him. She was talking to someone from the Assassin's Creed. She was trading information about a Piece of Eden in exchange for our safety and their protection against Dad and the Order. I just never knew what she was worried about."

I think about the vision I had last night during the Bleeding Effect. I wasn't sure if it was a memory, or an idea. I wasn't in the Animus and I did not think of it much since I wasn't sure the validity of the vision, but if it were true… I look over at Lilly, "Dad promised the Order that he would sell our virginity to members of the Order in exchange for his own life." I finally tell her and she looks at me with more shock in her eyes then I have ever seen before.

"How do you know that?" She asks in a skeptical tone, not wanting to believe it either.

"I saw a vision. Or a memory. I am not sure what it was. When Daniel and I were fighting and I succumbed to the Bleeding Effect. I saw Dad kill an Assassin and speak with Alan. He told Dad that if he didn't agree to the terms, they would strip him of his title and kill us all." I swallow hard. "Dad was never stripped of his title so I assume..." I trial off unable to say that he agreed to the terms.

"Fucking pig," Lilly says under her breath.

"But it never happened." I tell her, trying to defend our father. "It was supposed to happen when we turned 18, but we were never given up to anyone."

"Yeah probably because Dad was killed." Lilly says, "That is what I do not understand, you knew this about him and you still defend him. Why do you defend him so much? He was a monster."

I swallow hard at the comment. "Because I am so much like him." She frowns at my answer. "You've said it, Juhani, Daniel, Alan, Warren. Everyone says that I am so much like him. If I keep telling myself that there was good in him, it makes me at least believe that there is good in me."

"You are not like him." She says taking my hand in hers. "He was a cold and evil person, devoid of any love or gentleness." I exhale and she squeezes my hand. "I know the Animus is making you feel lost with who you are, but you are nothing like him."

"What about William?" I say looking up at her. "I have this overwhelming desire to kill this man, and I cannot accept it any other way. I have desired his blood on my hands for so long…I don't want anything else."

"William was not the reason Mom is dead." She says bluntly. "William was not the reason I am paralyzed." I inhale deeply. "William _is_ the reason that we were not raped by disgusting men in the hopes to elevate our murderous father. So, I believe with all my heart that you should reconsider your desire to kill him. Because if it weren't for him…" She shakes her head at the thought, "I don't want to know where our lives would be."

I run my hands through my hair as I try to take in everything she is saying. I look up at her and she is fidgeting with her new necklace. We sit there quietly while the environment erupts around us with families yelling and laughing and talking. Everyone moves around us with their own concerns while Lilly and I sit still frozen in our own. The more I learn about my father and his actions. The more I wonder if I spent the greater half of my life, training to fight a man who isn't responsible for any of the torment I have faced. It is hard to wrap my mind around the idea that I have been wasting my time chasing a man for making my life better.

Lilly and I decide after a while that we should leave. I help her into the car and we drive in complete silence back to the compound. I wonder what my sister is thinking in this moment. She had the knowledge all this time that our mother feared our father and sought out the Assassins to take us away from him, and she kept such a thing quiet from me all these years as I trained daily to kill a man who I am no longer sure deserves death.

I try not to think about William and what I should do with this information. The more I think about how much time I have wasted wishing William dead, the angrier I become at myself for believing in this silly quest for vengeance.

After over an hour of driving, we pull into the parking garage. I help Lilly out of the car and we head out of the parking garage and into the compound. Once we enter the threshold of the lobby, we both notice a swarm of people surrounding the main stairs to Alan's office. I look down at Lilly and she looks up at me puzzled; unaware as I am to what is going on.

As I push Lilly through the crowds of people, my eyes lock on Daniel's. When he sees me, the look of utter dismay overcomes his eyes. He begins approaching me with haste in his stride and he grabs me by the shoulder, pulling me away from the staircase. "Daniel, what is going on?" I ask him.

"Amelia, you should get out of here, you shouldn't see—"

I look away from Daniel and my eyes catch Juhani's as he escorts a handcuffed William Miles to Alan's office. My heart drops and I look at him with shocked eyes. He actually caught William Miles, and I am seeing the man in the flesh for the first time since the night he killed my father. My heart races and it pounds heavily in my ears. I push Daniel away from me, and shove my way through the crowd, approaching the scene.

"Alan!" I call out as I reach the edge of the crowd of people that watch William be handed over to Alan. Both Daniel and Rizzo push themselves from the crowd and approach me. Daniel tries to grab onto my arm, but I push him away from me. I look up at Alan and he looks down at me with shock in his eyes. I cannot imagine what he must be thinking seeing me so beat up. I glance over at Juhani who shares that same look of shock at my appearance. I finally let my eyes reach William, and when he looks at me, and when my eyes meet his, my hearing muffles and all I can see is him in the room. All I can see is him repeatedly killing my father before my eyes. A wild hate overcomes me and I desire so badly to take his life.

"Mister Cross, please escort Miss James to her quarters for the night." Alan calls out and Daniel begins approaching me.

"Alan!" I call out to him. "You promised me!" I yell at him. Daniel grabs onto me by the elbow, holding me back as I try to head over to him. I hear Daniel quietly telling me to come with him, but all I can focus on is Alan.

"Sweet child," Alan sighs, "You honestly thought I would give you someone as influential to the Order as William Miles? The Inner Sanctum has better plans for Mister Miles… and they do not involve you." He shoots me a sideways smirk and I realize that he is not going to give me William, and that everything he has ever said to me is a lie.

I begin approaching him when Daniel grabs onto me and whips me towards him. He grabs my face and tries to talk me down but I don't listen to him. He holds onto my face harder and I feel pain as he presses onto me. "Amelia, listen to me," He commands me under his breath. His brows are pressed together and he looks genuinely scared for me. "We will get him, _just not now_. You have to calm down and take a breath. Please." He begs me and I can tell that he is worried for me.

I look into his eyes as they beg for me to understand. I take in a deep breath, unable to look at Alan or William as Daniel forces me to look at no one but him. I nod at him as tears begin to fall down my cheeks. Daniel sighs with relief and lets go of my face. He takes my hand and turns me away from the sight as he moves to escort me to my room. I look down when I see the handle of Daniel's gun poking out of the waistband of his jeans. My heart races and I can no longer hear or think as my heart beats inside my ears. I feel myself getting hot and I know that I only have one shot at this.

I quickly swipe the gun from Daniel's waistband and turn around pointing the gun at my target. I get him in my line of sight and take in a deep breath. I squeeze the trigger and right before the bullet is deployed, Daniel grabs my arm and with a quick motion and a loud snap, he breaks my forearm and I drop the gun after deploying the bullet, watching with wet eyes seeing that I missed my target.

I fall to my knees shouting in pain and disappointment as I missed him. I hold my arm as it's bent in an unnatural way. I look up at him with tears falling down my face shaking in pain and hatred. My blood begins to boil and I cannot feel my body from the rage that fills my body. "I am going to fucking kill you!" I yell with all my might as my voice echoes in the halls. Alan looks at me with wide shocked eyes as he sees that my eyes are on him and not William. That the bullet was for him not William.

"Rizzo, take her to the cells!" Alan demands lowly, then commands Juhani to take William into his office. I look up at Juhani who looks down on me with a mixture of shocked and sad eyes. I throw my head down in shame, unable to look at him.

Rizzo tries to take me, but Daniel stops him. Daniel grabs me lightly and brings me to my feet. He begins escorting me to the prisoner block where the cells are located. Daniel leads me into the elevator and once the doors are closed he lets me go. I begin hitting him in the chest angrily with my left arm yelling and screaming at him while he takes the hits, not stopping me, or fighting back from me. He simply stands still with a tense jaw, allowing me to unload on him. I begin sobbing and when I stop hitting him, I bury my face in his chest crying wildly. "I had him. I had him and you let him go!" I cry in his chest.

Daniel grabs my chin and forces me to look up at him. "I have seen how good your aim is, you weren't aiming to shoot William, Amelia. You were aiming for Alan." He says lowly and I drop my head in defeat.

"I want him dead, Daniel. I want both of them dead." I tell him in between clenched teeth.

"Look at me." He says in a low tone. I look up at him and he looks at me with a scared look in his eyes. "Never say that to anyone here. Do you understand me." I look away from him and he grabs my chin, forcing me to look at him again. "Promise me, Amelia. _Never_ say that again. Not to Lilly, not to Juhani, and not to me. You will never say those words again." He says sternly and I swallow hard, unwilling to say it.

He lets out a sigh and looks down at my broken arm. He takes my arm into his hands and before I can pull away, he snaps my arm back into place. I call out in pain and hit him again. He takes the hit again without saying another word. I look down at my arm, holding it closely to me, sobbing quietly to myself in the opposite side of the elevator.

The elevator doors open and Daniel slips his hand under my armpit where he steers me to the prison cell I am forced into. He escorts me into the room and I turn around towards him. He holds his hand on the door command, hesitant to trap me in here. He looks over at me with sad eyes. "I will come back for you." He tells me quietly. "When this all blows over."

"I will bury him…" I say quietly staring at the ground. "I am going to kill him," I look up at Daniel in the eyes as he watches me with a concerned look, "And if you try to stop me again, I will lay you in the ground face down with him." I look away from him, unable to look at him for doing this to me.

"I am so sorry, Amelia." He says to me with a sad tone, and with that, he presses the door command and shuts the glass door, entrapping me in the small cell. He turns away from me and I watch as he walks down the hall and leaves me alone.

I instantly begin to try to find my way out of this glass prison. I hold my arm closely to my chest as I try to find any weak point in the cell. I look up and see an air vent that provides ventilation in the cell. Had I not been injured, I would be able to climb up and try to push through the vent, but I am practically useless with my arm.

I begin kicking the door, hoping to get some leverage on it and break it, but it is no use. I feel tears falling down my face as hopelessness takes over. I lean up against one of the walls, slamming the back of my head against the wall. I let out a squeal of pain and drag my body to the ground as I sit down helplessly.

I think about what I said to Daniel, and if it will bite me in the ass later on. I know that he would never tell Alan that I wished him dead, but I wonder how obvious it was to Alan that the bullet I shot was meant for him and not William. In the moment of having everything that I ever worked for come to head with one shot. I decided to take the shot against Alan and not William. And all of it being for not because of Daniel Cross.

I take in a deep breath and look up at the light that shines into my cell. My vision begins to blur in and out, while my hearing begins to muffle. I exhale deeply as I close my eyes and let my mind find peace.

 _Andre was led down the extravagant halls of the Palace by his brother Everard des Barres. Andre watched his brother suspiciously as the man had told him he held the Holy Grail; the very cup in which Christ had drank from. Andre did not know if he should trust his pious brother with this realization and was skeptical to say the least, yet here he was, walking the halls of the Palace to see King Louis VII._

 _Andre brushed his shaking palm against his dark jet beard. He had not seen the young King outside the reach of battle, and was nervous to see the man with the realization that they found the Holy Grail._

 _"_ _Andre de Montbard." The young king had called out as they entered the threshold of the throne room. Andre had gulped at the King's presence. On his grand throne, next to his beautiful queen, he had sat looking large and powerful as ever._

 _"_ _My Lord." Andre had said as he fell to his knee. "It is an honor, My Lord." Andre said with his head bowed in respect._

 _"_ _I remember you from the battle in Lisbon." The King had called out and Andre had risen to his feet. "You were the Knight to leave your brothers as their ships were sieged upon by the heretic Assassins."_

 _Andre threw his head down in shame, "Brave of you to journey alone to the shores to warn your brothers of the cowardly ambush." The queen Eleanor of Aquitaine had called out._

 _Andre looked upon the beautiful queen with shocked eyes. "You were present in battle, My Lady?" Andre had said with shock._

 _"_ _Indeed, I had stormed the gates with the King and Robert de Craon. May God embrace his soul." Andre pressed his fist to his heart in patron to his brother's passing. "You have a fierceness in you, Andre de Montbard." She continued. "My husband is fortunate to have you and your men fighting the Lord's battle."_

 _"_ _Lisbon was a terrible loss." The King had added. "But it was not a complete loss." The King had risen from his throne and the Queen had followed his lead. "Everard tells us that you are a fierce warrior, and devoted to the cause." Andre had looked upon his brother who returned a reassuring nod. "Your Templar Knighthood provides me with great opportunity." The King had begun as he led Andre through a labyrinth of halls within the palace. "You're exonerated by the Pope, above the constraints of the law in which my men are at disadvantage."_

 _Andre had tried to keep the location of where the King was taking him, but was unable to distinguish the similar halls. "What are you proposing, My Lord? That the Templars work as your hounds?"_

 _Everard looked upon his brother's silver tongue with worry in his eyes. A glance shared by the Queen. The King, however, simply laughed at Andre's disobedient tone. "Ah Everard, he is as sharp as you described." He said with amusement in his tone. "It is true, Andre, my men are unable to encounter certain powers as an action as such could be considered an act of war. But the Knight's Templars are not bound by any country or state. They work directly for the great Lord Himself, and answer only to God. It is that power that makes the Knights Templar…untouchable."_

 _The King had pulled out a loose brick in the wall and reached his arm into the opening. Andre had heard a click, and the wall had begun to move open. Andre found a smile approach his lips as the hidden chamber opened to them. "Andre I will not ask you to do anything that heeds your piety towards God; for what is more important to man than the salvation of his everlasting soul? What I ask of you is to join my forces in ensuring that the infidel Assassin tyrants are squandered before they can poison anymore French civilians. We need never speak of this coalition to the Pope, or any others."_

 _"_ _And what does the Knight's Templar have to gain from such an unspeakable alliance?" Andre had asked as they reached the end of the hidden chamber._

 _The King had turned to Andre with a knowing smile. "As you are aware, my wife—the Queen, comes from the wealthiest family within France." Andre watched the Queen as she smiled at the Knight. "She has agreed to give the Templar Knights more coin than they could want for. More than the Pope would be willing to spare."_

 _"_ _The Templars are not so easily bought." Andre said with a warning tone._

 _"_ _Understandable, Andre. We do not wish to purchase the Knights, but rather ensure you that your actions—in alliance with France—" The King moved from Andre's view to show a silver cup atop a pedestal, "are what God envisioned."_

 _Andre looked wide-eyed at the simple silver cup with the extraordinary draw. Andre was locked in shock as he stood before his King, undoubtably staring at the Holy Grail._

I jump at the sound of sirens ringing in the air. I get up into a standing position as I look around frantically. The lights shut off and emergency backup lights come on as the siren continues to ring. My heart beats heavily as I feel increasingly trapped in my cell.

I look down the hall to my right when I hear the door to my cell open. I look to my left and see Juhani with a pressed look on his face. "Juhani!" I call out as I run to him and give him a hug. He holds me tightly for a moment and time stands still if only for a second. "What is happening?" I call out to him over the sound of the siren.

"Desmond Miles is on the premises." He says lowly and I feel my blood begin to boil.

"Where is he?" I ask him as we make our way from the basement.

"He is headed towards Warren's office. Cross is in pursuit." I nod to him and we head into the elevator. He looks onto me once the door is closed "What happened to you?" He finally says after looking at my scars and bruises.

"It's nothing." I tell him, staring directly at the elevator door, unable to look at him.

"Daniel is also bruised and scratched." Juhani mentions as he turns to me. "Did he hurt you?" I look over at Juhani and swallow hard. He sees my hesitation and realizes what had happened. "The Bleeding Effect." He simply says and I put my head down. "Amelia, I—"

"Where is Lilly?" I ask him, changing the subject.

"She was headed to the Animus room last I spoke with her."

I quickly press the button on the Elevator to stop us at the Animus room. Once the elevator stops I run out of it and towards the Animus room. I hear the sound of crashing glass as I approach the room. I turn the corner to see Desmond Miles jump onto a beam as he heads over the small cubicles that house more Animi.

I swallow hard, wanting to chase him, but I turn into the Animus room to find Lilly. "Lilly!" I call out as I enter the room. "Lilly!" I call out again when I hear the door open from the bedroom. I see Lilly come out with a panicked look on her face. "Lilly are you alright?" I ask her as I fall to my knees next to her.

"Mila!" She calls out to me, holding my face in her hands. "Mila, it's Daniel. He's experiencing the Bleeding Effect!"

"Fuck," I say under my breath, rising to my feet.

"Mila, where are you going?" Lilly cries out as I head out the door.

"Amelia, you're hurt." Juhani says sternly. Before I can say anything, another series of shots rings throughout the air, and the sound of Daniel calling out is heard.

"Daniel needs help." I tell them and leave them as I run towards the broken window. Juhani runs after me as we carefully walk the beams of the roof. I am sure the Assassins are able to scale these with ease, but Juhani and I have difficulty balancing. I look down to see Desmond running towards the end of the room. I jump off of the beams and on top of one of the glass cubicles. I slide off of the top and run through the labyrinth of cubicles until I stop dead in my tracks when I see Daniel slumped against one of the glass structures.

"Daniel!" I shriek as I approach him. Juhani catches up to me and grabs my good arm, trying to pull me away from Daniel. I push Juhani away from me and fall to my knees as I look onto Daniel. His eyes are wide and they look off into nothingness. He has the same unmistakable look of death on his eyes that my mother had the night of the car accident. "Daniel!" I call out as I approach him. I grab his face, but he is stiff and lifeless. "Daniel, look at me!" I beg him, "Daniel wake up!" I yell at him as I begin to cry. "Daniel this isn't fucking funny! Wake up!" I beg him as my voice cracks.

"Amelia," Juhani says simply, and I drop Daniel's face as I begin to sob.

A hatred begins to boil inside me as I realize that another Miles man has taken someone I care about away from me. I look next to Daniel and see his gun next to him. I grab his gun and check to see that it is still loaded. I cock the gun and close Daniel's eyes, telling myself that I will be back for him…as he last said to me.

I get to my feet and watch as Desmond ascends up in the Elevator. "Someone shut off the fucking elevator!" I call out as I run towards the staircase. Juhani runs after me as we wordlessly ascend up the dozens of flights to the fifth floor.

As we make our way down the hall, we hear another set of gunshots go off. We run for Warren's office and see the carnage the Miles men left behind. Warren and four other Templar guards lie dead from gunshot wounds to the head. I look up at Juhani with sad eyes as he takes the scene in with shock on his eyes.

"Where are you going?" Juhani calls out to me as I turn away from the office.

"They couldn't have gotten too far." I tell him. "I am going after them."

"Amelia no!" He calls out to me, but I do not listen to him. I hold the gun in my hands tightly as my palms sweat.

I run down the hall and make my way to the shipping dock where I imagine their ride is waiting for them. I hear Juhani's heavy steps run after me. I head towards a small corridor where I hear voices. My heart beats heavily and I swallow hard as I head towards them. I turn the corner where I see William help Desmond through a ventilation tunnel where he heads to the shipping dock. I lift up the gun with my right arm, but the pain is too excruciating. I switch the gun to my left hand, feeling uncomfortable and foreign in my nondominant hand.

I lift up the gun and William looks over towards me. My heart drops and I feel hot looking onto him. He freezes at the sight of me holding a gun to him. I take in a deep breath and he watches me warily as I hold the gun to him. "You're James' daughter." He says simply.

"Shut up!" I yell at him as I approach him with the gun tightly in my grip.

He places his hands up in surrender. "I understand your animosity towards me." He says to me. "You shouldn't have witnessed what happened that night." He says slowly. "But your mother asked us to help in getting you away from your father. That night was the only night we were able—"

"I said shut up!" I yell at him, my voice ringing in the hall. I point the gun at him and swallow hard.

"Alan has been lying to you about him." He pleads.

"Trust me, he's next." I tell him lowly.

"Amelia, is it?"

"Stop!" I yell at him.

"Listen to me, Amelia,"

"Stop!"

"We can get you out of here."

"Stop!"

"We can protect you."

"Stop!" I yell as I pull the trigger. The bullet misses him and I begin shooting more rounds at him. I cry out as all shots miss him as he runs into the ducts and disappears. I throw the gun at the wall, angrily cursing Daniel for robbing me once more of the satisfaction of William's death. I fall to my knees as Juhani comes running towards me catching me in his embrace.

I begin to sob as I look onto the ground. Juhani holds me tightly to his chest as everything around me once again falls apart.


	7. Decay

**Sorry for how long it took to get this chapter out to you all! Hope you enjoy and leave me a comment or DM what you think of the story so far.**

 **Decay**

I stand closely to Juhani as he holds the umbrella that shields us from the rain. The smell of fresh dirt is in the air and the sound of water dropping in puddles cries out, filling the gaps of silence. I look down at the tombstone, entranced by the lettering of his name engraved in the granite stone. A simple series of letters and number are all that are left of Daniel Cross.

I look down at his tombstone and think of him and how much I hated and cared for him. I hate myself for everything I said and did to him. My last words to him being that I would bury him in the ground. And now here I am.

No one is at his funeral to mourn his death except for Juhani and Lilly. Everyone is at Warren's funeral, as he was more important to the Order than Daniel. I look down at Daniel's tombstone, seeing the letters shift from _Daniel Cross_ , to _Amelia James_. I exhale deeply, trying to keep myself composed.

"We should head out." Juhani whispers, breathing in my ear. "We are expected at Vidic's wake."

I want to say, 'fuck Vidic' and stay here with Daniel, but I know there is nothing left of him here, and I have to move on. I bend down to Daniel's headstone, pressing my lips to the top and kissing what is left of his memory. I pull away from the stone and look off to see Andre stand in the rain. He looks sad as he holds a sword before him. It is the image of him from de Paynes funeral. His eyes meet mine and all I can think about is how God must be weeping right now.

We leave Daniel's grave and head towards the oceanside home that houses Warren's wake. Upon entering the home, dozens of high ranking Templars gather in their black clothing, shifting from room to room aimlessly, speaking quietly amongst themselves.

Juhani takes off my coat slowly being mindful of my broken arm that rests in a sling, and hangs it on the rack with his coat. I look over at him with a sideway smile as he wipes off the drops of rain from his black suit. I look down at my sister as Juhani helps her with her coat. She thanks him and flattens out the wrinkles of her black dress.

I look away from my sister and an older woman comes my way. Her hair is white and her wrinkles hide behind a black vail that covers her face. I watch her as she approaches me. "Lilly James, it has been so long." She says approaching me and embracing me in a hug.

"Ugh… I am Amelia." I tell her and she pulls away from me. "That is Lilly." I tell her pointing at Lilly.

"Oh, dear me!" She exclaims. "I could never tell you two apart."

"Amelia is the one with working legs." Lilly says sourly and the woman nods uncomfortably.

"Yes well, in any case, so good to see you girls." She says as she walks away from us.

I look down at Lilly and ask, "Who was that?"

"Warren's mother." Lilly says. "She is an old hag that always told Warren that I was a waste to the Order for not being able to walk."

"Where the hell was I during this?" I ask defensively.

"You were in London with Isabelle Ardent." Lilly looks behind me and smiles with a wide smile. I look behind me to see Laetitia England approach us. I turn away from her, rolling my eyes as my body stiffens in disdain for the woman approaching me. Laetitia and I have never seen eye to eye, and for whatever reason, she has made it a point to show her displeasure towards me.

"Hello girls." Laetitia says approaching us, "It's good to see you again. Regardless of the circumstances." She takes me in and gives me a kiss on each cheek, her posture clearly painting her abhorrence towards me. She pulls away from me and hugs Lilly in a warm and welcoming embrace, then shakes Juhani's hand. She sighs, "A damn shame what happened; two Inner Sanctum Knights in one day. What a waste." She looks me up and down. "You look… well." She says hesitantly at the markings on my face. "I spoke with Alan and he said you were suffering from the Bleeding Effect."

I swallow hard at the comment. "I have been benched from the Animus as a precautionary measure. I should be back in the Animus project in no time."

"Oh darling," she says almost condescendingly. She takes my chin moves my face back and forth as she examines it. "It's painted all over your face how deep of shit you're standing in." She lets go of my face and I exhale. The bruises on my neck have almost all faded, as well as my chin, and the busted blood vessels in my eyes. However, I still have a broken arm in a sling, a distinct black eye on my left eye, as well as the scar on my forehead and my split lip. "Juhani, be a dear and go fetch me a gin from the kitchen." She commands him and Juhani begrudgingly leaves our side. "Lilly, how have you been since we last saw each other?" She says lighting up for my sister.

"Nothing new to report." Lilly says in a plain tone.

"Alan tells me you are working on a new recruitment program for potential recruits and data gathering?"

"Yes," she says simply. "I am calling it the Initiates program. It is still in it's beta stages, but I imagine it will be a great success."

She smiles at my sister. "I am sure it will be. The Order is very proud of you and everything you have done for the cause." She looks at me with a less satisfied look on her face. "Any update on Andre de Montbard?"

"I've been benched." I remind her.

"Of course." She sighs disappointingly. "What a waste." She says under her breath loud enough for me to hear as she walks away from us. "Good seeing you girls." She calls out as she walks down the hall, grabbing the drink from Juhani as he approaches her.

"You look tense." Juhani says to me quietly.

"She's a fucking cunt." I say to him and he chuckles quietly.

I walk around the room of mourning men and woman. I push past people, feeling uncomfortable being around this many people. I look around and my eyes meet Sophia Rikkin's. She watches me for a moment, then turns away from me and heads the direction opposite of me. Nothing has happened between her and I to make her want to avoid me, and I wonder why she does so. It has been explained by the Order that my shot at Alan was meant for William and the circumstances of Daniel pushing the gun away made the shot appear to be for Alan and not William. I allow the masses to continue thinking this, keeping my true intentions between myself and Daniel.

I continue to walk around the crowds of people. I feel my blood rushing through my veins and I increasingly get more and more uncomfortable in each room. I look around for a way out, trying to figure an escape from the home. My eyes lock on Ellen Kaye from across the room. She smiles at me, and heads in my direction. I look back at Juhani who is talking aimlessly with my sister. I look back at Ellen as she approaches me.

"Miss James." She says simply. "You look…splendid." She says hesitating at the marks on my face.

"Ellen," I simply say as she walks past me and gives Lilly a hug. Ellen is the leader of the Council of Elders and as such, has been in control of everything the Templars are responsible for. She was the key benefactor to Lilly's treatment and has always been a favorite of Lilly's. She kisses Juhani twice on each cheek, greeting him warmly.

"I hope you two won't mind, but might I have a moment of Amelia's time?" She asks them and they shrug. "Come," she says, "Let's go outside, away from the stench of mourning."

I follow her as she heads out of the back of the house. She heads to the edge of the patio that overlooks the ocean. She pulls out a pack of cigarettes and places one on her lips. She hands me the carton and I take one out for myself. She lights my cigarette, and after taking a long drag I feel myself loosen up. I hold my broken arm close to my chest as I allow my left hand hold the cigarette. I look at her warily. She looks out at the sunset for a moment, taking in the brisk air, then turns to me. She looks me up and down, and after taking a drag from her cigarette, she says, "You look awful." I roll my eyes at her comment, placing the cigarette in my mouth. "Not just the bruises and the cuts." She continues. "Your whole presence." I scowl at her and she continues. "Your posture is unsure, your eyes are sunken in, you look ill."

"Do you have a point?" I say in a drained tone.

"Alan is forcing you in the Animus. You don't have to confirm it. It's obvious. I am putting an end to it."

I look at her with narrowed eyes, exhaling the smoke. "Has he told you what I have found?"

"The Holy Grail?" She scoffs, "And I am the fucking Queen of England." She says with a pressed tone. "I have no doubt that your ancestor might have had the Grail in his possession, but it has been lost for years. Alan is deteriorating a valuable agent for a lost quest." I take another hit of the cigarette and she does the same. "I saw the surveillance tape of William's capture." I watch her carefully. "Thank God Daniel intervened in breaking your arm. I fear you might have _accidentally_ shot Alan." She says slowly. My jaw clenches and she smiles knowingly. "Too bad your aim is not as good as your father's was."

"What are you getting at?" I ask her lowly.

"I am not insinuating anything." She says with a smile. "My plans for you have always contradicted Alan's. You are important to this Order. You are a talented solider, and Rikkin would see that if he wasn't such a chauvinist." She says almost bitterly. "I have convinced others in the Council to approve your initiation into the Inner Sanctum."

"You're serious?" I ask her with shock in my voice.

"Of course I am. You're a talented fighter, and I would rather have you on the field then inside the Animus withering away over a cup." She says bitterly.

I take another drag of my cigarette, shaking at the notion. "The Council approved this?" I ask her warily and she shrugs asking why they wouldn't. I shrug, wondering if I should tell her about my father. "It's just that…" I swallow hard thinking about it. "Alan and my father had other intentions for my role within the Order." I say slowly watching her reaction carefully.

Her face grows grim, "How did you find out about that?"

I swallow hard knowing that I am right. "The Animus." I tell her simply.

She exhales deeply, crushing her cigarette on the ground. She looks at the ground for a while, then finally matches my gaze. "Your father was one of the most dangerous, violent, and unpredictable Grand Masters this Order has ever seen." I swallow hard at the comment. "He was uncontrollable and made decisions against the wishes of the Council. We came up with the idea to punish him for his actions against the Order. It was a failsafe to ensure he would continue as our figure head and not abuse his power."

"You honestly expect me to believe that you weren't going to enact this sick plan of yours?"

She places her index finger in my face aggressively. "I never agreed to such a horrendous notion." She hisses. "The others used it to control your father. In the end as you girls grew, he and the other Knights began warming up to the idea." She says in a revolted tone. "You should be grateful to God that the Assassins acted against him and took his life. With his death, brought the end for their horrid thirst for you poor girls."

"And you expect me to believe that you are watching out for us this whole time?"

"I genuinely care about you girls. You both are very special and fierce, and remind me so much of your wonderful mother." I swallow at her memory. "I can guarantee you that I will not allow Alan or anyone else to sell you like livestock." She places her hands on my shoulders. "I haven't had to do much convincing with the Council. You have shown your worth to the Order. Both you and Lilly. It is your legacy we are watching, not your father's."

"I want to go on the field. And I want William Miles' life." I tell her.

"I have a mission planned for you already." She says. "Alan will be made aware of it today. As far as the matter of William Miles, that is something I cannot guarantee you." I frown at her. "He is valuable to the Order, but we will see what we can come up with."

"What is the mission?" I ask her.

"I am going to have you leave the compound and transfer to our London territory with Sigma Team. You will be closer to the Elders and me. I will make sure that you will not enter the Animus again." She says simply.

"What about Lilly?" I ask her.

"Your sister is more valuable with Alan overseeing the Initiates program that she is developing."

"No," I say shaking my head. "My sister comes with me, or I don't go at all." I tell her.

She lets out an annoyed sigh, "Amelia, Lilly is not a doll." She says harshly. "She is not fragile, needing to be locked away in a box. She will have plenty of people around her that will watch over her."

"Why can't she continue her work with the Initiates program in London with me?" I ask.

"Because it is her work for Alan." She says. "Your sister will do well without you, and the separation will ensure your focus within the field."

"Lilly and I have not been separated since she went to College." I tell her sadly.

"I am sure you two will do fine, and you will be in contact with one another daily." She says motioning me to join her in the house. "Don't worry, Amelia. The Elders have your best intentions at heart. We will remove you from the Animus, and you will aid the Order in the field." She says to me and I am not convinced.

She turns from me and heads back into the home, where she embraces Warren's wife in a hug. I head back into the home and realize that I can no longer be around all these mourning people. The putrid smell of death is in the air and it is making me nauseous. I tell Juhani that I want to leave and he agrees, however, my sister tells us that she wants to stay and pay her respects. I tell her to get a ride with Sophia, and Juhani and I leave the home without anyone's notice.

Juhani drives us back at the compound where we head strait up to my suite. The entire compound is barren of anyone, as everyone is at the wake. When we enter the suite, the overwhelming smell of bleach and cleaning product fills the air. I throw down my purse on the table next to the door, and tear off my cardigan, tossing it on the couch. I kick off my heels and walk into the suite. Juhani removes his blazer as well, and begins tugging at his tie, placing it next to the blazer and unbuttons the top button of his dress shirt. He watches me carefully and I sigh as I toss myself of the couch.

Juhani comes over and sits down next to me. He lets out an exhale as his body decompresses on the couch. I throw my head back and close my eyes as I sit on the couch and try not to think of anything. But my mind begins to wander, and I think of Daniel and Warren, and how their deaths were so sudden. I think about the path that I am on and if my death is in the imminent future.

I look over at Juhani he watches me carefully. I sigh at him and he says what I already know is on his mind. "You never told me exactly what happened between you and Cross that night." He says sadly and I let out a groan.

"Daniel and I suffered from the Bleeding Effect." I tell him plainly.

"You told me you weren't experiencing the Bleeding Effect." Juhani says simply.

I shrug, "I am sorry, Juhani. What do you want me to say?" I say to him in a defeated tone.

"You shouldn't have been left alone and unmonitored. Cross was a danger to you, and triggered your Bleeding Effect, putting everyone in danger."

"Yeah well Cross is dead now." I say in a harsh tone and Juhani is taken aback. "What do you want me to say? That I lied to you? I am sorry. I lied to you." I admit as my voice chokes. I press my palm to my lips, hiding my quivering lips.

Juhani places his head down, "I don't know how to help you." He says in a sad tone.

"I don't think you can." I tell him and he frowns. "Ellen wants to remove me from the Animus." I tell him. "She wants to make me a field agent."

"What of Andre?" Juhani asks.

I shrug. "Ellen is not supportive of my being in the Animus, regardless of what I have found." I say referring to the Holy Grail. "She will have me join Sigma Team. She already has a mission planned."

"Sigma Team will be lucky to have you." Juhani says with a smile. I smile back at him and shuffle over to him as he embraces me in a hug. He holds me tightly, burring his lips in my hair and giving me a kiss on the top of my head. "I missed you so much."

I lie in Juhani's arms for hours, feeling myself falling asleep and safe in his grip. He eventually carries me into my bed and tucks me in for the night. I groggily watch as he undresses to nothing but his boxers and climbs into bed with me. I turn away from him, and press my body against his. He moans as he buries his lips in my hair, pressing them to the back of my neck, sending chills down my spine. I close my eyes, and take in this moment of peace with a smile, before I fall into a deep sleep.

 _Andre held the reigns of his horse tightly in his grip as he looked onto the walls of his next conquest: The Holy Land. He stood between King Louis VII of France and Conrad III of Germany. With the blessing of the Pope, Andre and the Knights Templar took battle for the Siege of Damascus. Andre would take back the city from the infidel Assassins and see them all to his God. Andre stood proudly before the men as they looked upon the city they would take as their own._

 _The leaders spoke amongst themselves, discussing their tactics to take the fortress from the West. The Kings believed the orchards on the west walls would provide the forces with the proper cover to siege the castle. Andre, however, saw the plan to be folly and advised against the attack on the West. The Kings did not heed the Knight's caution and their forces headed West. Andre rolled his chin in irritation at their foolish war tactics._

 _"_ _My liege," the knight had spoken up. "You must consider the food and cover of the orchards the West provides us with. If we attach from the East, we will surely—"_

 _"_ _The decision has been agreed upon." Louis had cut the Knight off._

 _"_ _Husband, I seem to agree with the Knight." Queen Elenore had spoken up for Andre. "He speaks sense. The food will provide the men with provisions and the orchards will not only provide shelter, but wood to be used as weapons."_

 _Andre had watched as the man took into account, his wife's words, knowing her to be rational in battle. Andre believed the King to favor the plan when Conrad spoke up, "The woman knows little of war tactics, Louis. The East is less fortified than the West because of the lack of cover. The wall will not be as heavily guarded there."_

 _Andre had bitten the inside of his cheek, knowing that the King would favor the opinion of Conrad over he and the Queen. Louis had made his decision and the headed for the East._

 _Andre had bowed his head to the Queen, thanking her for her support. She had given him a sly smile and headed to battle with her husband._

I stand in the humid tunnel standing before the body strewn on the floor. I look down at him confused at what I am seeing. I blink at him, wondering how to process the sight. His eyes are wide open, his body has fallen in an unnatural stance and his arm is burned up to the elbow with the smell of burning flesh filling the humid air.

One of the men from the forensic teams comes up to me. He clears his throat and I do not stop looking at the body. Juhani shifts next to me and the man continues having Juhani's ear.

"Hello Agent Berg, Agent James." He greets. "My name is Fisher." He tells Juhani. They shake hands and Juhani asks him to inform him of what happened here. "As of now we are unsure, Sir." He says to Juhani. "We will have to complete an autopsy to determine cause of death, however, with the immense burning of the right arm, we are certain that is a good place to start."

"What of DNA recovery?" Juhani asks.

"The Temple has created an environment favorable for DNA recovery." He tells us. "His body has been well preserved by the low tempters and humidity within the Temple." Fisher tells Juhani. "When you're ready, we may begin sampling."

"Give us a moment." Juhani tells the man and he leaves us alone with the body. "Amelia, are you alright?"

"Why would he do it?" I ask him absentmindedly, still captivated at the sight of him. "Why would Desmond Miles kill himself?" I ask him and he stiffens in my peripheral at the question. "Do you think he was experiencing the Bleeding Effect? Do you think the voices told him to do it?" I ask Juhani and he grabs my arm, forcing me to look at him.

"If this mission is too much for you, you can step out and I can handle—"

"This is my first mission given to me by Ellen." I interrupt him. "I have to show her I can handle it."

"This is a cruel mission, all things considering." He says speaking of mine and Desmond's involvement in the Animus. Two men have died from their insanity driven from being in the Animus. I look down at Desmond's body getting the overwhelming feeling that I will be lying on the floor next.

I step away from Desmond and the men take hold of him from DNA sampling. "What do we do now?" I ask Juhani. "Now that Desmond Miles is dead."

Juhani swallows hard, "Sample 17 will begin." He says simply. "With Lilly's upgrades to the Animus network, we are able to have multiple people experience other's memories for longer than ever before."

"Will they watch the memories of Andre as they watch the memories of Desmond's ancestors?" I ask him and he does not answer me, and simply responds with a frown.

I turn towards Desmond's lifeless body as I watch them harvest him for his memories. I watch as they take a scalpel to his arm, and begin taking him apart into pieces. I turn away quickly and arch my back as I retch at the sight. Juhani quickly grabs onto my hair from my face as I bend over with my hands on my knees, spitting the remanence from my mouth. I groan as I look down at my regurgitated food.

Fisher comes over and hands me a bottle of water and I take it from him. Juhani lets go of my hair as I straighten out and take a swig from the water bottle. I take a heavy sigh as I look up at the roof of the Temple.

"We should go," Juhani announces as he rubs my back. "Do you need anything from us?" Juhani asks looking back at Fisher.

"I just need a signature from one of you." Juhani takes the pen with his other hand and scratchily signs his name with his nondominant hand. Fisher thanks him and Juhani escorts me out of the Temple.

We exit the Temple and Juhani sighs, wiping his palm against his lips. "That was cruel of Ellen to bring you here." He says angrily.

"I doubt she had ill intentions." I tell him tiredly as I take another sip of water. He looks over at me with concerned eyes. His blue eyes looking onto me sadly. "Let's get out of here." I tell him. "I need to get my mind off of things."

"What do you have in mind?" He asks me and I smile up at him.

When we enter the hotel room, we don't have to say another word to one another. I take off his blazer and he moves to his dress pants while I unbutton his dress shirt. Once he unbuttons his pants and whips his belt to the floor, he moves his hands to my clothes, practically tearing them off of me. Once we are bare, I push him to the bed, and he lays down with a wicked smile on his lips. He lays on his back and I swing my leg over his body, straddling him. I guide him inside me and moan when I feel him enter me. His brows tangle together as he feels my wetness and he places his hands on my hips while I ride him. I hold onto the bedframe for support and move my hips in circular motions, breathing heavily at the sensation. My legs begin to shake and I place my hands on the mattress on each side of Juhani's head. I close my eyes focusing on the sensation of him inside me. I claw to the mattress as I feel myself climaxing. I throw my head down next to Juhani's, pressing my lips to his ear. He takes it over from here, moving his hands to my lower back as he thrust for me. I begin shaking violently, pressing my lips to his ear to stop me from exclaiming in pleasure. My face scrunches and I let out a sob.

Juhani holds me tightly as I begin sobbing in the mattress, still straddling him. He doesn't say a word to me and simply holds me tightly in a hug as my cries are muffled by the mattress.

I stand in the shower, letting the stream of water massage my back. Juhani steps into the shower with me and I turn away from him, letting the water hit my neck. He places his hands on my hips as he presses himself to me, placing his lips to my shoulder and kissing it softly. "Are you alright?" He asks me as I hold my hands up to the falling water.

"I am sorry." I tell him. "I don't know what came over me." I whisper quietly.

He moves the hair from my back and kisses my ear. "Sometimes when we bottle our emotions, they come out with any release; be it pleasure or pain." He says trying to justify my sobbing. "You haven't cried since Daniel's death, or William's escape. It is only natural that those overwhelming feelings made their way out somehow."

I think of what he is saying, knowing that I feel shame for sleeping with Daniel, grief for his death, disappointment for William's escape, and now overweighing shock at Desmond's death. All the unnerving feelings looming over me just had to make their way out before Juhani.

I let out a cry as I turn to Juhani and hug him tightly, letting all those feelings spill out of me.

 **10 Months Later**

"He's still dark, Amelia." My sister says over the screen of my computer. I sit before the computer, staring at her image on the screen, missing her so much. "I have been looking everywhere for William's location. After his departure from the Altair II, he has been no where to be found. He is a ghost." I frown at the camera of my computer and Lilly sighs. "I am sorry, Amelia."

"Just keep looking for him." I command of her and she nods. I watch her for a moment, staring at her features that match mine. "I miss you." I admit to her.

"I miss you too." She returns.

"How is the Initiate Program going?" I ask her.

She exhales deeply, "It went live." She tells me. "We have two sleeper agents on the Altair II. They are feeding me intel through the program. I am waiting to hear back from them to see what their next plan of action is. They are the ones that informed us of Gavin Banks becoming the new Mentor in the wake of William's disappearance."

"I am proud of you." I tell her with a smile and she returns with the same smile.

"How is your mission treating you?"

"It is great." I tell her, then frown. "Being away from Sigma Team and acting as Laetitia's right-hand man has always been a dream of mine." I say begrudgingly.

"That's not good news?" She asks.

"It's the hand she wipes her ass with." I tell her lowly.

Lilly lets out a laugh. "She is not that terrible, Mila."

"She's a royal cunt." I tell her and she rolls her eyes. "She has always hated me for no reason, and now, rather than being on beneficial field missions with Juhani and the rest of Sigma Team, I have been following her flat ass around watching her do paperwork." I say angrily. "She is wasting me as an agent and all I do all day is help her with meaningless paperwork for the launch of Abstergo Entertainment."

"I am sure it is better than the alternative." She says simply and I clench my jaw knowing what the alternative would be. "Speaking of which, what about the Bleeding Effect? Still the same?"

"It's nothing but me up here." I tell her motioning to my head. "Kind of quiet up there, I am starting to miss the voices." I joke and she lets out a laugh.

"I am glad you are doing better." She says with a smile. I watch her as she plays with her necklace, and I find myself reaching for mine. I swallow hard at the thought that I am not near my sister, and I miss her now more than ever. She notices my frown and furrows her brows at me. "How is Juhani? Have you been able to speak with him much since your transfer?"

"No," I say quietly. "He has been on mission with Sigma Team and hasn't had a break to reach out to me." I exhale thinking about how this is the longest I have been away from Juhani. "I just feel like I am being wasted here. I don't know what Ellen's agenda is with having me work with Laetitia."

Lilly shrugs, "I am not sure, but I am sure it will pay off in the end."

"I better go." I tell her with a sigh. "Satan and I have a date tomorrow." I say speaking of Laetitia.

"Be nice. I love you."

I turn off the computer and let out a sigh. "Not hearing voices? I taught you better than to lie to your sister." I hear my father's voice say in my ear and I take a deep gulp, not letting him get to me.

 _The smell of burning flesh had filled Andre's nostrils as he had walked past the bodies of his fallen brothers and the loyal Frenchman that gave up their lives to their foolish King. Andre was stricken with an overwhelming hate for his King. The man had failed to listen to him and his wife, and because of this, Andre's men were dead._

 _Everard joined his brother, covering his nose from the stench of death. "This was a folly strategy," Andre told the Grand Master. "Had Louis heeded my warning, we would have gone East and eliminated the Turks."_

 _"_ _Speak cautiously, brother." Everard told Andre. "Your King has made the decision by which God led him, and it is His will that we are not fruitful today, but be assured, the Lord will be bountiful to us once more."_

 _"_ _God has nothing to do with this decision, Everard!" The knight had roared. "A folly King made this decision and hundred of Templar lives are lost because of it!" Andre's voice cracks at the lost souls of his brotherhood. "The King abandoned this cause, abandoned his army and his men as the coward that he is!" Andre spat. "I will not follow such a small man into battle, and if you do, then I will ensure your grave be ready for you."_

 _Andre walked away from his Master angrily. He had felt the faith lost in his King, and he was feeling the faith of God wavering as well._

I walk down the hall of the Grand Hall, my heals clanging loudly as they echo down the hall. I wear tight black jeans, a white blouse and a black blazer with my hair curled framing my face as it sweeps down my back. I made sure to make myself look presentable as Ellen is meeting with Laetitia and I to see our progress.

I think back about mine and Laetitia's relationship throughout my life. I remember that she used to love me when I was younger. I remember her always wanting to play with me, and entertaining any silly games I forced upon her. It was after the death of my mother and father that I remember her bitter disdain for me. She began to look at me with unwelcoming glares and made a point to make snide remarks about me. While under her wing, I learned her password and hacked into her emails to see that she was one of the only people to contest my use of the Animus, reading a fifteen-page report that was emailed out to Alan and the rest of the Elders of how I was unfit for the Animus Project and how I would fail at the mission while wasting Abstergo resources on the project. Ever since reading that, I have made it a point to "accidentally" delete all her important memos from her email thread.

I clench my fists thinking about her abhorrent nature towards me. I shake my head of the thoughts and continue down the hall to her office. I approach her door to see she is sitting at her desk speaking with Ellen. My heart drops knowing that Ellen was given a moment alone with Laetitia to talk about me. I know that Laetitia is a cowards and would not speak negatively of my performance to my face, but I do not doubt that she would spit lies to Ellen about my devotion to the Order when I am no there to defend myself.

I enter the office with a pasted-on smile for the women and they both rise to greet me. Ellen kisses me on each cheek and sits back down. I shake Laetitia's hand and she absentmindedly welcomes me to her office.

I sit down next to Ellen and we all sit for a moment with nothing but the sound of our shifting in our seats to accompany us. After a moment of the awkward smiles to one another, Ellen begins. "Laetitia and I were speaking of your time here these past few months." I watch Laetitia carefully and her face is calculative and indecipherable. "She has shown me some of your effort in launching Abstergo Entertainment. I am very proud of you." She says to me with a smile and I glance over to Ellen.

I give her a fake smile. "Laetitia has been an impeccable mentor and has provided me with such valuable and inconceivable knowledge of the business world that I could never even fathom existed. She has really taught me the worth of her position within the Order." I say in a fake tone and Laetitia leans back in her chair rolling her eyes.

"So glad to hear it." Ellen says in a flat tone, probably seeing through my obvious façade. "Amelia, understand your position here with Miss England and the purpose of my placing you in her care. She is here to teach you the value of business tactics within the Order. One cannot lead the Order under brute force alone. It didn't bode too well for your father." She adds and I clench my fists in annoyance, rolling my chin, seeing Laetitia also tense at the comment in my peripheral.

"Of course," I say to her in a pressed tone. "It is imperative that a Grand Master know the balance between both." I say to her lowly.

She smiles at me, "You will do amazing things for this Order, Amelia." She says with a smile. She stands and both Laetitia and I follow her lead. "Until next time." She says with a sigh looking over at Laetitia. "I would have you continue your weekly report of Miss James." She turns to me and takes my chin in her hand and examines my face. "You look just like your mother." She lets out with a sad smile. I look back at her with pressed brows and she turns to Laetitia. "Doesn't she, Laetitia? Look just like Angela?"

Laetitia's jaw tenses, "The spitting image." She lets out in an uncomfortable tone. I watch the women carefully, wondering what sort of power play that was all about.

She escorts herself out and I stand there for a moment, uncomfortable at the altercation we just had with one another.

I look back at Laetitia, and she uncomfortably straightens out her blazer and sits down at her chair. I follow her lead and sit down in the chair across from her desk. We sit there for a moment in silence until Laetitia clears her throat and looks at me with a bored tone. "Tomorrow we are heading to Montreal for the opening of Abstergo Entertainment." She says simply. "You will meet Olivier Garneau and Melanie Lemay. I will have you assist them with anything they need."

"And what about you?" I ask her crossing my arms over my chest.

"That is not your concern." She says in a pressed tone. "You may leave. Your flight leaves bright and early tomorrow."

I roll my eyes and leave the room, not wanting to spend another moment with her. I head from her office and sit at my computer, working on some final papers before the launch of Abstergo Entertainment.

The next day I sit in the office with the panoramic views of the city in the massive skyscraper that houses Abstergo's newest business venture. Melanie Lemay smiles largely at Laetitia and I as we sit opposite of Olivier Garneau who shares the same uncomfortably large smile.

"It's passed it's Beta testing stages and is ready for release." Garneau says excitedly. "It runs off of Bluetooth and WIFI, so there is no need for the recipient to be confined to the machine. It is mobile, lightweight, and the user can enter the memories of any bloodline, as long as their genetic signature has been coded into the system. With the recovery of Subject 17's DNA from Sigma Team, we hope that we will be able to comb his ancestry for any necessary memories using this devise under the guise of guided simulation." He says excitedly. He motions to Melanie who hands him the tablet. "It is all through this devise. The user connects to any cubical in the building and is able to assimilate into the memories of any DNA coded onto their tablet."

He hands her the tablet and looks it over. "What about the Bleeding Effect?" I chime in. Olivier swallows hard and Laetitia gives me a pressed glare. I continue, despite her clear annoyance at my question. "The Bleeding Effect?" I repeat myself. "Have any of the subjects experienced it?"

Olivier clears his throat. "We…we had not conducted thorough investigation to rule out the side effects of the Bleeding Effect." He says nervously.

"And have you conducted a thorough investigation on how security and this building will hold up against an army of unhinged workers suffering from psychosis directly caused by the instruments you forced them into?"

"Miss James is concerned about the liability waivers the workers will most likely need to sign." Laetitia begins.

"I don't need an interpreter, Laetitia." I say lowly narrowing my eyes at her. Her eyes practically bulge from her sockets in the shock of my tone. I look back at Olivier who is clearly uncomfortable at the encounter. "If Abstergo Entertainment wants the green light on this project, they will have to ensure they do not create the same liabilities Abstergo Pharmaceuticals created with Subject 17." I say lowly. "If this new version of the Animus causes any signs of psychosis, this whole operation will be scrapped and become another failed venture for the Templars."

Everyone sits there in silence for a moment until Olivier clears his throat and says, "We have completed two human trails, and both have succeeded without any side effects." He says unsure of himself.

"Would you use it?" I ask him and he looks at me with a confused stare. "Would you use it on yourself?" He swallows hard and hesitates to answer my question. "When you are comfortable using it on yourself, then you have my buy in." I say getting up and heading out of the office.

Laetitia follows me on my heals and when we are out of earshot she grabs my wrist violently and whips me around to look at her. "You fucking little girl," she spits. "Don't you dare disrespect me in front of these people." She says lowly and I roll my eyes. "Abstergo Entertainment does not need your father's money to operate. I mentioned you as a buyer as a courtesy to your family's legacy within the Order that you are clearly shitting on by behaving as a spoiled child."

"Watch your next words, Laetitia." I threaten her.

"Stay your empty threats, Amelia. They are wasted breath on me." She walks away from me with nothing but the sound of her heals clanging on the tile.

I exhale deeply, thinking about Lilly and how she told me to give Laetitia a chance. "Wait," I call out to her in an unenthused tone. She turns from to me and looks at me with a bored tone. "Let's go back in there and at least see how it works." I say to her with as close of an apology as I can muster.

She heads back into the room with a sharp exhale. Olivier and Melanie jolt up startled by our reentrance into the office. "Miss James has decided she would like to see how the devise operates, before investing her shares." Laetitia announces.

"Of course!" he says excitedly. "If we are to look into the memories of the recipient and not of a sample donor, the recipient can wear what we call Brahman." He pulls out a pair of high-tech looking goggles. "Brahman allows the user to watch the memories of their ancestors in a mobile and lightweight form, that will gather and store the data into their tablet." He says syncing the two devises. "It would be the best experience for Miss James to lie down while using Brahman—"

"She is not putting it on." Laetitia says sternly and everyone in the room tenses at her sharp tone. "Need I remind you that Miss James is still suffering from the negative effects of the Animus and has no business visiting the memories of her ancestors."

"Laetitia, it is fine." I say to her and she shoots me a hateful glare.

"As she said earlier, 'would you wear it?'" She repeats my words. "Why don't you show us how Brahman works?"

"That's unnecessary," I speak up and she looks back at me with a pressed glare. "If I am going to invest in Brahman, I am going to ensure it does not feel like being inside the Animus or have the same effect as the Animus." I say taking the virtual goggles from his desk. I lie down on the velvet chair in the corner of his office.

Melanie plugs the goggles to the screen so they will be able to see what I see. "Usually we give the participants a muscle relaxant, so they do not act out what they are seeing with the Brahman." She says pulling out a syringe.

"No drugs." I tell her. "If I start swinging, you can push Laetitia in my way." I jest and she tenses her jaw as I smile at her.

I swallow hard as I lay down in the chair. I take a deep breath, feeling my heart beating intensely as though I am entering the Animus. I pull the goggles over my head and lay my head down.

"We can have the Brahman search your DNA for any of your ancestor's memory. Do you have any preference?"

"Anyone by Andre de Montbard." I tell him quietly, seeing Laetitia frowning down at me before the Abstergo logo blocks my view of her.

My head begins to feel light, but my body stays grounded; a feeling unlike that of the Animus. I move my head, looking around as images begin to form. I begin to no longer feel my body, and before I can panic, I fall into the memories of my ancestor.

 _A man approached the ranks of the men. They drew their swords to him, weary of his intentions. King Richard approached the men and with a strong voice, the Lionheart spoke out to the man. "What is the meaning of this, and be quick with it!"_

 _"_ _You have a traitor in your midst." The man in the white hood spoke._

 _"_ _And he has hired you to kill me?" The Lionheart called out. "Come to gloat about it before you strike? I won't be taken so easily!" The King called out to the Assassin._

 _"_ _It is not you I have come to kill. It is him." The Assassin said mysteriously._

 _The King grew tired of the Assassin's words, "Speak then, so that I might judge the truth. Who is this traitor?"_

 _The Assassin had approached the King while all the crusaders watched the man warily. "Robert de Sable." The Assassin said boldly._

 _The King and the men shifted at the accusation. "My lieutenant?" The King had called out in disbelief. The Assassin tells the King that Robert seeks to betray the Lionheart. "That is not the way he tells it." The King had defended his lieutenant. "He seeks revenge against your people for the havoc you brought in Acre, and I am inclined to support him. Some of my best men were murdered by some of yours."_

 _"_ _It was I who killed them, "the Assassin spoke up, "and for good reason." The Assassin told of the men of whom he stole life from, and the transgressions they performed against their King. The Assassin informed the King of their ill intention towards the crown and their quest for personal ascendance, accusing Robert as the master behind the deeds._

 _The King placed his head down for a moment, wondering what these men were capable of. After a moment, the King looked over at his lieutenant who heard the accusations against him. "Is it true?" He asked of the man._

 _The knight removed his helm and spoke with a chilling grimace, "My liege," he called to King Richard with a calm demeanor. "It is an Assassin that stands before us; these creatures are masters of manipulation. Of course it isn't true."_

 _The men began to argue of the other's intent and the King grew tired of their petty quarrels. He looked upon the Assassin and saw truth in his eyes, but he could not allow himself to make the decision for himself. The King spoke up, commanding the men to fight. The fate of the men would be taken from his mortal hands and into those of the divine Lord. With His guidance and judgment, the man worthy of life would live to tell the truth._

I tear the Brahman from my face as I sit up into a sitting position. I wipe the tears that fall down my face as I try to process what I have just seen. Before I can speak up, Laetitia does for me. "I am not sure what we have just seen." She says looking at Olivier. "Did you have us watch Subject 17's memories?" She says referring to watching Altair fight with Robert de Sable.

"No," he says with a shrug, "the Brahman is capable of showing the memories of another, and we have collected the DNA samples of Subject 17, however, when I fetched the memory it played this one.

I begin to feel myself getting hot and sick. My head begins pounding at the realization begins to hit me. The only way that I could have seen the memory that I just did was if I was a descendant of one of those men. I think of Altair and his ancestral line, leading down to one man. The idea makes me faint and I feel myself begin to panic. I cannot be related to William Miles.

"According to the Brahman, the memory is coming from her DNA." Melanie says. "It appears the memory is King Richard I." I exhale deeply at the relief that I am not related to William, and that the memory came from the King rather than Altair.

"That is impossible." Laetitia speaks up. "King Richard I of England was the son of King Henry II of England. There is no way Richard is an ancestor of Amelia." She says sternly.

Melanie shrugs and types on the computer for a moment. After shaking her head, she finally shrugs and says, "That is the memory taken from her DNA. She is his descendant." She says in a matter-of-fact tone.

Laetitia shakes her head. "Andre de Montbard is her ancestor at this time, there is no way that she is his descendant. He is the son of Henry II and Eleanore of Aquitaine."

"Queen Eleanore of Aquitaine?" I speak up. "King Louis VI of France's wife?" I say thinking of Andre's memories of her in the tombs under the palace.

"Yes," Laetitia says, "She and Louis had an annulment, and quickly after that, she married King Henry II and gave birth to Richard."

"When was King Richard born?" I ask her.

"September of 1157." Melanie says looking it up.

"And when did Andre die?" I ask her.

Laetitia looks at me with a worried look as Melanie clings onto the keyboard. "January of that same year."

"Eight months before the birth of his son." I say simply and Laetitia stiffens.

"If what you are saying is true, King Richard was the bastard child of the Queen and a crusader." She says with concerned eyes.

I look down as I hold the Brahman tightly in my hands. "I need to see his memories." I tell her.

"Absolutely not." She says sternly. "Brahman or Animus, you are not going back to his memories."

"Do you realize what we have just discovered?" I yell at her.

"I don't give a shit if we discovered that Jesus was an orphan to an affluent family. You are not going back into that machine, and that is final!" She snaps at me and the entire room grows tense. "Thank you for your time Mister Garneau, Miss Lemay." She says look at the two of them. "Miss James and I will touch base tomorrow." She says shooting me a glare telling me to join her.

I swallow hard and hand them the Brahman goggles. I head out of the office following Laetitia closely behind. I don't say anything to her and I keep myself quiet. I think about the Queen and her relationship with Andre. From what I have seen, nothing about his relationship was romantic, and I cannot see where it could have become romantic, especially with her becoming the Queen to two kings. I feel myself itching for the first time fiendishly for the Animus and wanting desperately for my questions to be answered.


	8. Abstergo Entertainment

**Hello everyone, I hope you all are liking where the story is going so far. Let me know what you think!**

* * *

 **Abstergo Entertainment**

"Knight to D6." I tell her absentmindedly as I look through the information that we have gathered about the Observatory through the Subject 17 Project. She moves our chess board that the camera is pointed at. She moves her Bishop to take my Knight and I let out a sigh. I look at the paperwork to see that Sigma team was unable to locate the Observatory and I think about how I should be with them. "King to F4." Her brows press together and she looks at the camera.

"Are you sure about that?" Lilly asks me and I run my fingers through my hair looking at the paperwork.

"Yes, I am. I am trying to take your damn Rook." I say angrily.

She moves the King to the spot I asked her and then moves her Bishop. "Checkmate." She says sadly and I look at the computer to see her move.

"Fuck me," I say letting out a sigh.

"Amelia, what is going on?" she asks me. "Is there something you want to talk about?"

"There is no where in these historical accounts that Andre had an affair with Eleanor, or even suggesting that Richard was not the King's son. I am not allowed in the Animus or Brahman, I feel like I was so close to understanding what I was supposed to learn from Andre, and it has been taken away from me to look into some useless temp workers, hoping that someone can find this Observatory that only a drunk pirate has accounts of. We are banking on one of these losers to find the Observatory with the false hope that it might lead to more Piece of Eden artifacts, rather than using my ancestry which has a direct tie to the Holy Grail and I cannot go in and look for it!" I let out angrily.

"You know what happens when you use the Animus." She says to me.

"The annoying thing is that Laetitia is treating me like a child. She is constantly on my ass about this stupid project. She is getting more insufferable every day that I am with her. I have no idea why she hates me so much, because all she does is rave about how much she adores you. So, it has nothing to do with Mom or Dad. I feel like I am on my last nerve with her. I just miss Juhani so much and I wish I was out there on the field helping him, not stuck here looking for the stupid Observatory!" I yell out throwing the papers to the ground. I take a deep breath feeling a hot tear fall down my face. "A year ago today Daniel died protecting us against the Assassins, and we are no closer to getting a Piece of Eden." Lilly frowns when I let this out. "I feel like he died for nothing."

"Do you want me to talk to her about it?" She asks me. "Do you want me to ask her if she can be a little more reasonable with you?"

"She is the most unreasonable shriveled up wench." I tell her. "There is nothing you can say to her that will make her be sensible."

She frowns at me through the computer. "Juhani has been checking in regularly. Have you been able to speak with him about this?"

"He doesn't want Sigma Team to know about us. If I ever get reinstated to Sigma Team, he doesn't want it to seem like he favors me because of our relationship. So, he has no reason to reach out to me." I say with a frown and she shares the same expression. "I feel like I tried so hard in the Animus to get these memories, to get the Grail. And after everything that I did, none of it mattered because of the stupid Bleeding Effect!" I yell out. "I have lost everything from last year; I have been removed from the Animus, I watched Daniel die, I have been taken away from you and Juhani," I begin to tear, "I have lost everything. I don't even know why I even try anymore."

My sister sits there looking at me through the computer with a sad and helpless look in her eyes. I cannot look at her, because her expression paints just how despairing my life has become. "Mila, why don't you get some sleep. Forget about the Observatory, forget about Andre, and get some rest. Things will be better in the morning." She says and I look up at her, "I love you." She says with a smile.

I tell her that I love her and I log off of the computer. I head into my kitchen where I grab a candle and light it. I think about Daniel and how an entire year has passed since I looked him in the eyes and saw nothing in return. I wonder how it would be different if he was still here, and if his and Warren's deaths wouldn't have caused my removal from the Animus project. I try to think about what my life would have been like if he didn't die, and how different it would be if I continued my work in the Animus. Would I be worse off than I am now? Would I be more of a liability due to the Bleeding Effect? Or would I be revered for finding the Holy Grail?

I place the candle on top of the refrigerator to burn with the memory of Daniel and head to bed. I lie down on the mattress and think about Andre and Richard. I try to have one of those dreams where Andre's memories come to me outside of the Animus. I am not sure the validity of these memories, but they are all I have for now.

The next day I wake up from a dreamless night, where even Andre's memories do not accompany me. I head to the office where I see Laetitia typing on her computer. I don't say anything to her and without looking at me, she commands me to sit at her desk.

"I received an email from your sister last night. Would you like to know what it says?" She says to me, not looking away from her computer. I shrug my shoulders and she puts her glasses on to look at the email. _"Laetitia, I hope you are doing well. I have heard of the successes with Abstergo Entertainment, and it is clear these successes would not be possible if it weren't for your perpetual effort and commitment to the project."_ I roll my eyes figuring that kissing Laetitia's ass is how Lilly gets her to like her so much. I lean back in my chair, crossing my arms over my chest, preparing to hear the rest of this ego-stroking email. _"That being said, I trust that you are aware of how my sister Amelia was instrumental in this success as well. I believe that my sister has been an undeniable value to this team. I understand that she has been difficult of late with her temperament, but do recognize this is caused from her prolong state in the Animus. Amelia is trying her hardest to ensure this subsidiary of Abstergo is effective in finding the artifacts that we seek. I ask that you sympathize with my sister's disposition due to the condition of her state caused by forces outside of her control. I believe that she will become a more effective operative with positive reinforcement and praise. Thank you for your time, wishing you the best. Lilly James."_ She takes off her glasses and looks over at me. "What do you think of that email, Amelia?"

I shrug at her, still leaning back in my chair with my arms crossed. "Lilly has such an eloquent way with words." I say sarcastically.

Laetitia swallows unenthused and says, "I think it is a load of shit." She says bluntly and I stiffen at her comment. "When Ellen came to me about taking you on as an apprentice, it was because no one else in the Inner Sanctum wanted to take on the challenge, because of your rumored psychosis. Everyone was worried you would snap at them like a wild animal." I tense my jaw at her comment and she continues. "You have a reputation, Miss James. Not only because you are unable to control your emotions, but because you are your father's daughter. Everyone fears you because they see Dalton in your eyes." I roll my jaw but she continues, "And that is why I took you on as my apprentice, and that is why I am such a hard ass on you." I watch her carefully. "Because you are Dalton's girl. You are so much like him that at times it's like he never passed." She says almost bitterly. "Dalton wanted you girls to work hard within the Order, and not expect things handed to you because of your lineage, just as Lilly is asking me to be lenient with you because of your time in the Animus." She shakes her head. "If you feel my demeanor towards you is intolerable, then I want you to come to me. Don't expect any handouts because you're Dalton's girl, or because you are broken from the Animus. That is a load of shit. Daniel was fully accountable for his actions, and the same will go for you."

I watch her carefully and she meets my gaze. "Understood." Is all I can let out and she seems shocked at my submissive response. I get up and head out of her office.

"Amelia," She calls out to me and I turn towards her. "Not everything about Dalton was bad. When I say that you are so much like him, that is not something to be ashamed of." I nod my head and leave her office wondering why she is the only person that sees my father in this light.

I head over to the floor where the workers comb through the memories of Subject 17. I head over to Melanie where she talks with a few recruits about their performance. Once she is completed, she turns to me and smiles. "Miss James, how are you doing today?" She says in her nauseatingly cheerful tone.

"Fine," I tell her. "Any news on the Observatory?" I ask her.

"Nothing yet," She says with an overexaggerated frown. "I have more workers coming in so we can get more hands-on deck." She looks behind me and her frown flips to a smile. "Oh, Mister Standish!" She calls out, "can you head to the basement and bring me six more Brahman sets for the new hires?" She calls out to the IT guy who approaches us.

He strides over and stands next to me. I instantly feel uncomfortable at his demeanor. He towers over me and there is something frightening about him, but I cannot pinpoint it. "Of course, Miss Lemay." He says with an uncomfortable smile. "Miss James, would you care to come down and assist me?" He asks me in a low and malicious tone. The idea makes my skin crawl, but I decide to head down with him, as I have nothing better to do while I am here.

We get into the elevator where we stand uncomfortable at one another's attendance. Standish shifts in the elevator and clears his throat trying to mask the silence, but I do not budge, and I continue to stay quiet.

The doors to the elevator open, and I practically run out of the elevator into the basement. Standish follows me and we look around for extra Brahman. I hear a deep humming noise once we are in the basement, and I stop looking for the Brahman, unable to concentrate until I find the source of the noise. I begin to stray from Standish, and I hear him call out to me, asking me where I am going.

I begin to look around frantically as the humming becomes deafening. I push through a pile of boxes and squeeze past some cubical walls to an opening where it stands before me. Before I can process what I am seeing, Standish violently grabs my wrist and pulls me away, "James, we should head out. I have collected the Brahman we need."

"The Animus," I let out as I stand before the Animus. I pull my arm away from him and look at the device with wide eyes. I cannot believe it was here underneath me this entire time. I reach out to touch the Animus when Standish grabs for me again. "Let go of me!" I roar at him as my voice carries throughout the basement.

"We need to get back upstairs," he says sternly. "It isn't even on." He says to me and I look back at the Animus with confusion, wondering how I heard the humming of the Animus if it was not on. "Look, I read your file and I know that you are attached to this thing somehow—"

"You read my file?" I interrupt him angrily.

"Abstergo has a really poor firewall and I read everyone's files. Yours was the most…interesting." He says hesitantly.

I turn away from him and look back at the Animus, "Why is it here?"

Standish shrugs, "The transfer notes said that it would be 'of better use under Abstergo Entertainment'. Maybe they were planning on putting whoever could find the Observatory in it." He guesses and I swallow hard at the notion.

"Help me plug it in." I tell him as I head to the computer and lift it up onto a nearby desk.

"Are you insane?" He calls out, "Oh wait you are, and it is because of this machine that you are." He says intensely. I shoot him an angry glare and continue to set up the Animus. "If we are not back in the lobby, they will suspect something and come down here, seeing you set this up. They will see that your psychosis has not subsided." I take just a second to shoot him a stabbing glare, then return to setting up the Animus.

I plug in the computer to the Animus and fire them both up. My heart races when the blue light illuminates the basement. "It works," I let out with an excited sigh.

"We need to leave." Standish says lowly.

"Just a second." I tell him. "I just need to see something." I say approaching the computer as I begin to type the sequence to enter the Animus. "If I begin seizing, you will have to stop the sequence from the computer. Do not pull me out." I tell him as I type the sequence.

"Are you fucking insane?" He calls out. "What memory is worth potentially dying over?"

"I need to understand something." I whisper, speaking more to myself than to him. I enter the proper components, shaking as I search the memory. "Ok it is ready." I head over to the animus and lie down, looking up at the ceiling until the glass halo glides over my face. "Don't worry," I tell Standish as he looks over me, "I won't be long."

 _The Knights had stood in the hall, confused and stunned at their Master for leaving the Order. Everard was always a pious man, but they did not expect the man to leave the Order to become a Monk. Andre pressed his shaking palm to his lips, pulling his skin as he brushed his palm against his face. Andre had thought to kill the man once to become Grand Master, but he had gained respect for the man in recent years, and was proud to follow his command. The same could not be said of what had just been decided in the walls of the Order._

 _The Knights had elected Bernard de Tremelay to stand as Grand Master in the wake of Everard's abandonment of the Order. Andre's skin had boiled at the decision. Bernard was another Robert, and would prove a challenge to remove from the throne. Andre had left the hall after the decision had been made and he cursed his brothers for choosing Bernard over himself, and he cursed Everard for being the coward that he was. He was not choosing God's path in this decision, but the deserter's path._

 _Andre had gone to the King to see if he could appeal the decision of the Knights and instate Andre as the rightful Grand Master of the Order. Andre walked through the walls of the Castle where he was greeted by guards and their pikes. Andre lifted his hands in surrender and the men asked for his business in the castle by the cover of night. Andre had called out to the men, wishing to have the King's ear._

 _"With no appointment, you will not be granted audience with the King." A guard called out._

 _"I fought with the King in the Siege of Damascus; I almost died for the man!" Andre's voice had rung out in the halls. "The man was granted his Knights. Now one wishes to speak with him."_

 _"The King does not want to see the mutt that caused him his defeat." The guard called out maliciously._

 _Andre pulled out his sword and the guards surrounding him followed his hostile stance. Andre knew that he could take the guards. There were more of them than him, but he was a Knight's Templar. His sword was the will of God._

 _"What is the meaning of this?" A voice called out in the halls approaching the commotion. The guards bowed down as Queen Eleanor entered the room in her night robes. Andre followed their lead and she approached the Knight. "Andre de Montbard?" She questioned. "What brings you to the palace at such an hour?"_

 _"My Queen," he called out to her with a respectful bow of the head. "I wish to speak to the King about the Knights Templar. In lieu of Everard's abdication the Knights have fallen into chaos." He pleaded with the Queen._

 _The Queen looked at the guards who were on edge at the Knight's presence. With a sigh the Queen said, "Please escort the Knight to the King's study." The guards hesitated, but after the commanding look of their Queen, they obeyed her wish._

 _Andre stood in the office of the King's palace, strewn with books and maps from all over the world. Andre ensured not to place his hands upon any of the relics, however, his eyes wondered through the knowledge bestowed before him. The door had clicked open and Andre turned to see the Queen enter the office, now dressed in appropriate clothing. Andre bowed his head to the Queen and the door closed behind her. "Where is the King?" The Knight called seeing that the King was not on her heel._

 _"The King is with his mistress no doubt, in one of his estates away from the palace." Andre frowned but the Queen did not. "Louis and I have not had a romantic relationship for some time. We met as children and never saw one another in such a way." The Queen explained and Andre grew uncomfortable with her conversation._

 _"You have yet to produce an heir for the King." Andre told her and she scowled at the comment. "Apologies," Andre called realizing his stance. "It is not my place to scrutinize."_

 _The Queen motioned Andre to sit while she took the seat of the King. Andre swallowed at her presence. "What disorder has ensured within the Order?" The Queen questioned. "The Knights Templar are an unprecedented advantage for the French Throne, and as the matriarch of these lands, it is my obligation to know what cripples the Order."_

 _"Everard has abdicated from the Order. The Knights have elected Bernard de Tremelay as Grand Master of the Order."_

 _"And how does this decision negatively affect the throne and our alliance with the Templars?"_

 _Andre looked at the Queen as though she was not understanding him. "Because it is not I who becomes Grand Master." Andre said in a pressed tone._

 _"But has Bernard conspired against the Throne? Threatened the King? Spoke of ending an alliance with the French Armies?" The Queen questioned._

 _Andre lurched away from the Queen in confusion at her tone. "No, but—"_

 _"Then I do not see what this discourse you have with one of your brother's has to do with the King and his rule." The Queen stood and commanded Andre to do the same. "You may leave now, Andre. When Bernard has committed true treason against the French Throne, you may call upon the King to aid your Order."_

 _"What of the Holy Grail?" Andre called to her. "Will the King show Bernard the power he holds in these halls to ensure loyalty to his cause?"_

 _The Queen had turned to Andre and with a vicious smile, had said, "Andre, if you want Bernard removed from the Order, do it yourself." And with her last words, she had commanded the guards to escort the Knight from the palace._

I thrust into a sitting position sweating profusely and breathing heavily. Standish looks at me with a concerned look as I swing my legs off of the Animus and head to the elevator. "What did you see?" He calls out to me as I head away from the Animus.

I swallow hard and enter the elevator, holding onto the railing for support as I feel my body fall weak. "Not what I expected." I say in a disappointing tone, thinking that I was going to see a hidden memory of a forbidden love affair from the Queen and Andre, but from the looks of the memory, it is clear that the Queen wanted nothing from Andre. I wonder how these interactions turn into her giving birth to his bastard son.

"What are you looking for?" Standish asks me as he enters the elevator with me.

I take a deep breath, slamming my head against the wall of the elevator as we ascend back to the lobby. "I don't know anymore." I tell him in a defeated tone.

"Maybe you can use the Brahman to find what you are looking for?" He says and I shake my head.

"Laetitia is against my using the Brahman or Animus." I tell him.

"Well your mental state is hanging by a very loose thread." He says and I shoot him a hateful glare.

"You have no idea what you are talking about." I say lowly.

Standish scoffs, "Daughter of Grand Master Dalton James, and Angela James. You have a twin sister named Lillian. Your parents died in a car accident caused by the Assassins when you were 10, paralyzing your sister from the waist down. From then, you reformed your life and submersed yourself into training with the Templars in hopes to seek vengeance against the man who killed your father; William Miles. You were recruited for the Animus program when you were 16, trained with Rizzo and Doctor Sung for four years preparing for the Animus and the affects it can have on your body and mind. You entered the Animus for the first time when you were 21, and spent the remaining 5 years locating and unlocking the memories of Andre de Montbard; a founding member of the Templars and the 5th Grand Master of the Templars. You were exploring the memories of Andre for less than 9 months before you started experiencing severe side effects of the Bleeding Effect. After the death of Daniel Cross and Warren Vidic, you were disbanded from the Animus Project. You were placed on the field by Ellen Kaye with Sigma team for 6 months until their leader, Juhani Otso Berg requested your reassignment for the safety of Sigma Team, where you were shortly after removed from the team and placed into the care of Laetitia England to aid in launching Abstergo Entertainment. You have been in your current role for 4 months and are already looking for your way out. But, no one in the Order wants to take on the burden of handling you because of the severity of the Bleeding Effect that you are experiencing." He shoots me a sideways smile. "Did I get it all?"

I am taken aback by everything he has just said and I look at him, wide-eyed and uncomfortable that he knows everything about my life. "How…" I stutter on my words and I am unable to ask him how he knows all of this, suddenly feeling molested by his knowledge of me.

"I read the emails." He says simply and I look up at him for clarification. "The emails." He repeats, "There are emails on everyone about everything that goes on here. Conversations, transfers requests, kill orders, anything you could possibly want to know."

"I went through Laetitia's emails," I tell him. "There was nothing about me in them but Ellen's proposal to have me aid in the Abstergo Entertainment launch."

He lets out a scoff, "well no shit. She knew you were going to be her assistant with access to her email. Of course she deleted all the emails regarding you and your handicap." He says with a sinister smile.

"Then how did you find them?" I ask him suspiciously.

"The deleted email folder." He says bluntly as if I should know this is a place to look. "Half the team is older than 60. They aren't aware that when you delete an email, it goes into the deleted email folder. They often never delete it from there."

"You've got to be kidding me." I say to him, baffled that these fossils don't wipe their computers properly.

"Go see for yourself." He says, and when he does, the elevator chimes and the doors open, welcoming us into the upper cubical levels. He pushes the I.T. cart out of the elevator and makes his way to Melanie. I stay in the elevator and decide to head up to Laetitia's office, hoping that she is dumb enough not to clean out her deleted email folder.

The elevator chimes when I reach the penthouse suite where Laetitia's office is. I peek through the glass to see that she is not in her office. I enter the office and head to her desk. I sit in her chair, the sound of the leather ripping cries out as I take a seat. I log onto her computer and head to her email server. I click on her deleted folder and when I do, my heart drops. "Fuck," I let out as I see the empty deleted folder. I think for a moment, wondering where I can get access to these emails. I think of Standish and how he made fun of the people who failed deleting these emails as elderly. I think of Ellen Kaye, and how she is one of the oldest people within the Order.

I decide to log into Ellen's account and see if she failed to delete her folder. I curse myself when I realize that I do not know her password. I look around Laetitia's desk to see if there is anything that might give me a clue to her password. Laetitia handles Ellen's affairs and has to have her password around here somewhere. I rummage through the drawers when I find a planner that has all of Ellen's appointments. Laetitia is paranoid, and has everything backed into a paper copy in case of a server crash. She is also anal, and the entire schedule book is beautifully organized.

I finger through the book when I find some appointments that stand out to me. She has a birthday party for her grandson written down, and I figure that being an older woman, she is sentimental about that kind of stuff.

I type in the name Tyler into her computer and it fails to sign in. I type Tyler123, and that also fails. I curse under my breath and search for another option. I type her son's name, but that also fails. I type their birthdates, and her late husband's name, but nothing is working. I look at another appointment in her book for a groomer for her prized Maltese. I roll my eyes, typing in the name Precious. I let out a scoff when the computer unlocks at this. "You have got to be kidding me." I let out with a laugh.

I head into her inbox, and when I click on her deleted folder, the welcoming image of thousands of undeleted emails look back at me. I smile to myself and begin searching the emails. I perform a quick search of my name and countless emails pop up. I look through emails discussing the Animus project. 'Confidential' reports of my time with Doctor Sung are in these emails, badge in reports of my moments within Abstergo, as well as a written record of Andre's memories completed by my sister.

I continue to search through the emails when one catches my eyes. The title of the email is "Sigma Team and the Use of Agent James". I think about what Standish said about Juhani and I find myself wondering if what he said was true. I click on the email and it is a recording of Sigma Team's mission debriefing.

I put on head phones and plug them into the computer, I press play on the audio recording and listen to the sound clip.

"Sigma Team debriefing of Rio de Janeiro mission. June 3rd 2013; 0620." I hear Laetitia's voice say over the recording. "Please state your name and position for the record."

"Juhani Otso Burg, Sigma Team Leader." Juhani's voice says in a rough tone.

"Juhani, please tell us about the failure in Rio de Janeiro." Ellen's voice calls out.

There is a shifting sound and Juhani clears his voice. "The mission started strong. We had received intel of a potential Piece of Eden located in the city of Rio de Janeiro. Local Templar agents had provided us with a map of the location, but had warned us that Assassin forces had been scouting the area. After surveying the region, we headed into the suburban section where we suspected the Piece to be hidden."

"And what happened when you arrived in the area?" Ellen asks.

Juhani waits a moment, and nothing but white noise is heard. "The Assassins were waiting in hopes to ambush us. They were heavily armed and greeted us with lethal force." He takes a moment. "Da Costa returned fire first, killing two of the 8 men that I had visual on."

"And how did Agent James respond?" Ellen asks and I let out a sigh, taking in a deep breath knowing how this panned out.

Juhani sighs and waits to answer. "The sounds of the shots must have triggered something," He says trying to justify my actions. "Agent James lost herself and proceeded to attack Agent Da Costa."

"Please explain the attack for the record." Laetitia says with a leveled tone.

"She shot Da Costa in the right foot, pinned her to the ground, and proceeded to strangle Agent Da Costa with her knee while holding her hands down, chanting in French."

"What was she saying in French?"

"Die." Juhani says solemnly. After a moment of silence, he continues, "Agent James was unresponsive to verbal instruction which led myself and the rest of Sigma Team to believe that she was experiencing the Bleeding Effect."

"How did you proceed?" Laetitia asks.

"With the concern of both Agent James and Agent Da Costa's lives, I rendered Agent James unconscious and removed her from Agent Da Costa."

"How did you render Agent James unconscious?"

"I held her in a headlock and dragged her from Agent Da Costa until she fell limp and lost consciousness."

"Were you met with retaliation by Agent James?"

"Yes, I received these scratches to my arms and face." Juhani says. The room goes quiet, save for some shuffling. The sound of a camera shutter goes off and I look at the email to see the attached photos of Juhani's arms and face, showing bruises and scratch marks all over his face and arms. I exhale heavily at the sight that I caused.

After a moment of this, they start back up. "What of the Piece of Eden?" Ellen asks.

"It was lost in the commotion to the Assassins, and we failed to retrieve it." Juhani says in a disappointed tone and I bite my lip knowing that I am responsible for the failure.

Laetitia sighs, and shuffling is heard on the tape. "Agent Burg, after these events, how would you suggest we handle Agent James?"

"Handle?" Juhani says in a defensive tone. "What are you suggesting?"

"Amelia almost killed Violet." Laetitia says sternly. "She is a liability." She says harshly.

"I am sure that with proper medication, Mil—Agent James will be a valuable asset to the Templar Order."

"I think it is clear after this mission that Agent James is more of a liability than an asset to the Templar Order." Ellen says bitterly.

"I do believe," Juhani begins, "that Agent James and her time in the Animus have caused strain on her ability to sustain her emotions, nonetheless, as Daniel Cross was a field agent, I believe she is capable of doing so."

"You understand how we cannot see where you are coming from, all things considering." Ellen says and Juhani asks her to explain herself. "Mister Berg, it is clear that your grasp of Agent James' mental health is influenced by your connection with her."

"Excuse me?" Juhani lets out at her comment and my heart drops.

"Do not play us for fools, Berg." Ellen continues. "Abstergo has cameras everywhere, and your unaccompanied late-night visits into the girls' suite did not go unnoticed. Nor did your rendezvous in the parking garage." The recording is silent and nothing but the sound of white noise his heard. My hands shake and I cover my mouth with my palm, trying to calm myself with how bad we have fucked up. "It is clear to us that your desires to have Agent James continue her work with Sigma Team are directly tied with your inappropriate relationship with her. So, Mister Berg, if you wish to continue to lead Sigma Team, your association with Agent James must end and she must be disbanded from the field."

Juhani clears his throat and with an uneasy tone says, "I understand the need to have Agent James removed from Sigma Team. Her mental state is volatile and her presence poses a threat to the team." He says sadly, not wanting to have me removed from the team, but knowing that he does not have a choice.

"I think that would be for the best." Ellen says. "We cannot have a hostile environment overlooked by petty favoritism." Ellen says bitterly.

"What will happen to her?" Juhani asks.

"That is no longer Sigma Team's concern." Ellen says and the recording ends.

I sit in the chair for a moment, thinking of what I have just heard. I was told that my removal from Sigma Team was due to the need for me to aid in the launch of Abstergo Entertainment. Knowing what I have just learned, Juhani's distancing of me makes more sense. It is clear that he does not want Ellen to think that he is favoring me over the rest of Sigma Team, as well as figuring that the relationship between the two of us has diminished since our separation.

I back out of the email and comb through more emails about me. I look at saved conversations about other Inner Sanctum members expressing their concern about my mental state. One of them describing me as 'the disaster that was Dalton James continuing his legacy'. So many conversations worried about my presence in the Order, and so many of them suggesting my termination within the Order. I stumble across a thread of emails that call me a danger to the Order and so much more horrible things when I come across an entry from Laetitia. _Let us not forget who this girl is. She is a young girl who has lost her Mother and Father, forced into the Animus to locate a rumored relic. The demise of Miss James' mental health has been greatly overexaggerated by this Order and its pathetic way of spreading false rumors for the sake of gossip. Miss James is a well rounded and efficient agent. Her ability to problem solve, as well as her dedication to the Order are being overlooked due to her lineage. Let us not let the memory of who her father was denounce her ability within the Order. I have spoken at length with Ellen Kaye on the matter and Miss James will transfer under my unit to launch Abstergo Entertainment. So, we can retire this argument._ She writes about me and I frown realizing that I have been an ass to the only person that has stood up for me.

I exit out of the old chats and pull out my phone. I sync Ellen's emails to my phone so I will receive the emails as she does and be in the loop of what is being said about me. I exit out of the computer and head out of Laetitia's office. I get down to the offices where I oversee the temp workers and their progress with the Observatory, hoping that someone will find something.

I work closely with Standish as we oversee the Temps as they try to locate the Observatory. Laetitia has been on their ass about finding this place and I wonder who is getting on her so hard. Days have passed and things are getting more tense around the building. With the added pressure to find the Observatory, more and more people are on edge.

My phone rings as I get an email. I pull away from Standish and read the email. It is a debriefing from Sigma Team that was sent to Ellen. I drop what I am doing and I read the email from Juhani. He talks about another failed mission trying to locate the Observatory. I can tell just by reading the email how upset he is about these missions not turning anything up. I read on that he mentions the Assassins were there before Sigma Team and I look at my phone with confusion. I wonder how the Assassins could possibly know about the Observatory, when we have been so discreet about our attempts in finding it. I put the phone away and continue to assist the Temps, hoping they can come up with something to give to Sigma Team.

As the shareholders meeting approaches, everyone is banking on getting some proof of the Observatory to show that Abstergo Entertainment is not a failure. But as the days go by, and nothing turns up, people's hope is beginning to diminish. I read through more emails where some question the security of Abstergo Entertainment as more and more missions are being intercepted by the Assassins. It is clear that there is a leak within the Order, and members within the Order are demanding the dismantle of Abstergo Entertainment before the leak reaches the other subsidiaries.

I sit at my computer and wait for everyone to sign on. Laetitia thought it best that I do not fly to the shareholder's meeting and connect with them via video chat. I wait at my computer as the Abstergo logo bounces back and forth on my monitor. A few minutes go by until the monitor goes live and I see the feed of a few boardrooms as well as closeups of faces of Inner Sanctum members in the Order. I look to see one of the screens is Juhani's face. I touch his face and smile at the camera, seeing him for the first time since I was removed from Sigma Team. I see him smile at the camera, and I tell myself that he is smiling to me.

"Has anyone heard from Olivier?" Isabel Ardant asks. "He never checked into his hotel in Chicago."

No one speaks up and they decide to continue the meeting without him. "Let us go over the profit report for the year." Agneta Reider, Chief officer of Abstergo Financial group begins. She speaks of the Financial successes of Abstergo Industries. I look over at Alan's screen as he stares at the camera. I get the overwhelming feeling that he is looking at me, smiling menacingly at me. I look down and away from the screen, unable to look at him.

"Let us discuss Abstergo Entertainment and the Observatory." Simon Hathaway says. "What is the status of this success?"

Laetitia clears her throat. "We have been successful in using Brahman to play the memories of Subject 17 with the workers. They have done well syncing with the memories and we have located various potential locations of the Observatory and First Civilizations artifacts."

"Potential?" Alan questions smugly. "I didn't realize we gave you those resources for 'potential' locations."

"The issue is more complex than simply extracting memories, Alan, as you are well aware in your quest for the grail." Laetitia says venomously. Her eyes shift and I can tell that she is looking at me in her screen, hating herself for throwing me to the ground at her expense. "The memories are difficult to gather." She says in a more leveled tone. "We need to ensure they are stable, and when we receive intel, we send out Sigma Team as soon as we can. Our attempts have been fruitless for now, though I am confident that we will gather the information that we seek."

"The Observatory has been so far but a legend in Edward's memories." Juhani speaks up, "We are counting on the Entertainment workers to unlock the memory so that we can get the proper coordinates of the Observatory. For now, we must take all leads that Abstergo Entertainment provides us with."

"How have the leads gone so far?" Isabelle Ardant asks.

"So far the leads have resulted in dead end or ambushes from Assassin forces." Juhani says.

"Lilly has updated her Initiates Program, which will continue to feed information from the Altair II and Gavin Banks' team in hopes to stop these ambushes." Alan speaks up.

"I have spoken with Lilly," Juhani says. She has provided me with information of the Altair II that has proven helpful. Her contacts on the Altair II are invaluable."

"And what has the other James daughter been up to?" Alan asks maliciously, looking at me through the camera.

I see Juhani and Laetitia tense in their cameras. "Amelia has been immensely supportive to the Abstergo Entertainment subdivision."

"What irreplaceable work are you providing the Order, Amelia?" Alan asks condescendingly.

I wait for a moment to respond, seeing that cunning look in his face, wanting to destroy me in front of all these people. I smile and say, "I have determined there is a mole within Abstergo Entertainment." I say and when I do, everyone on the video chat stops and looks at their computers with shock.

"What do you mean a mole?" Isabelle speaks up.

"It has been clear that in their last few attempts Sigma Team has been met with retaliation from the Assassins. We have been clear and cautious with our communication with Sigma Team and these missions. Yet the Assassins seem to be ahead every step. Upon further analysis, I have found specific video surveillance and files that have gone missing from the Abstergo servers. This can only be wiped from the inside. I am confident that someone within Abstergo Entertainment is providing information to the Assassins, causing the failures of Sigma Team."

"And what proof do you have besides these missing files?" Mitsuko Nakamura asks.

"I have yet to determine the severity of the issue, I need time to deep dive the—"

"So, it is a hunch then?" Alan scoffs. "Please Miss James, provide us with valid details rather than assumptions when it comes to issues such as these." He says in a patronizing tone.

I put my head down and I am unable to look at any of the members on the call. They continue to discuss various projects within the Order. They end the call soon after and I slam my computer shut angrily. I head to the server room where I look for information that they are requesting. I try to lookup the files that I have suspected have been removed from the servers. Some files of Desmond are missing, including the autopsy video that Juhani and I signed off on. I continue to search the servers and though I am not as tech savvy as my sister, I do my best to locate any information that might be helpful to me.

I look at some videos when something catches my eye. I watch as the delivery personnel and coffee stand barista speak to one another day after day in the lobby. Something catches my eye when one of our temps approaches the two of them and only briefly speaks with them. Interestingly, they lift their tablet, and for a moment it looks like they are transferring files to one another.

"You don't have clearance to provide them with this information." I say to myself speaking of the Temp. "There has to be someone else." I wonder.

I get up and decide to go to bed for the night. Tomorrow Laetitia will be here and I will have to face her for what I said in the board meeting today. I dread the exchange we will have.

I wake up in the morning to see no one in the offices. I look around frantically for someone when I come across Melanie. "Where is everyone?" I ask her as I look around for all the Temps.

"You haven't heard?" She says with a dreadful look in her eyes. "Oh, my where do I begin?" she groans. "Olivier is missing. He failed to check into his hotel in Chicago, and he missed his flight this morning here." She says with dread in her voice. The servers have been wiped and someone is leaking information. We have separated the workers, trying to figure out who is responsible for the leak."

"I have an idea of who it could be." I say handing her the tablet of the worker's profile that I believe is responsible.

"No, it can't be, they are our star pupil." She says with a frown.

"Where is Standish?" I ask her.

"He is working in the server room. I just spoke with him. He said that he will have a team working on the servers as quickly as he can to get the temps back to work and away from their lock up. I assume he meant you as part of his team."

I turn away from her and head over towards the server room. I run down the stairs and once I am in the basement, I look around, but there is no one down here. My heart is racing and I don't know why I feel so on edge, but I cannot shake the feeling that I am being watched. I head to one of the servers to see that the metal door to the server is open and on the ground. This must be where the mole plugged in and stole information.

I kneel down to the opening in the server and plug my laptop in. I type in a code to fetch the data that was pulled from the server when I see the logs from Standish. I see multiple files that he has deleted as well as providing the Temp worker that I suspected from the video with various clearance they should not be having. My heart races quickly as I realize that Standish is the mole, and is using the Temp to transport the information to the carrier and barista in the lobby. I swallow hard and unplug my laptop. I turn around to run to the stairs when I am met with Standish. His revolting smile sends shivers down my spine and I find myself fearing him. I look into his eyes and it is in this moment I realize why he has always frightened me. His eyes. They are two different colors and there is emptiness inside them, as if he is void of life.

"What are you doing down here?" He asks me, smiling menacingly at me.

"I was just…I was updating…" I swallow hard, unable to say anything to him. I am completely frozen by his malicious smile.

He looks me up and down and smiles at me. "What did you find?" He asks me and I shake my head, backing away from him. "Did you see her? Did you see my Juno?"

"What?" I let out with fear in my tone.

"You will be the perfect vessel for her." He says to me, he approaches me and before I can move away from him, he hits me across the head and I fall to the ground. I frantically look around for him and his next move against me before everything goes black.


	9. Relapse

Hope you are all enjoying the story so far. Here is a long chapter for you all. Please leave a comment when you're finished and let me know what you think!

* * *

 **Relapse**

My eyes begin to focus as my surroundings become clear. I come to the view of Laetitia on the ground, gagged with a cloth across her face. Her arms and legs are tied with a rope, and she is laying on the ground frantic and scared. When my eyes meet hers, she desperately moves towards me, moaning trying to say something to me. I look away from her to see Standish towering over me. He has a syringe in his hand and looks at me wide eyed and crazed.

"Get the fuck away from me!" I yell at him as I try to pull away from him, but cannot move because my hands are tied behind my back and my legs are tied together. I begin to panic realizing that I am bound and unable to fight against him.

I hear Laetitia call out over her gag, telling Standish to get away from me.

He kneels down on top of me, crushing my chest beneath his weight. "She didn't pick you." He says angrily. "I don't understand what is wrong with the vessel. I thought you would make a perfect host for my Juno. Ugh, I saw her, she was so beautiful, my lovely Juno. But she did not choose your vessel. It must not be powerful enough. It does not make a suitable host. But why?" He hysterically says to himself.

I huff as he shifts his weight on top of me. "Get off me and I will show you just how fucking powerful my vessel is." I threaten him.

"She is out there, adrift and lost without a host. She deserves better!" He calls out angrily.

Laetitia drags her face on the ground and is able to remove the gag from her mouth. "Amelia!" She calls out and I look up at her. She looks at me frantically and I can tell that she is scared.

I look back at Standish as he begins to bring the syringe towards my neck. He leans in close to my face and I thrust my head into his nose, hearing the cartilage crunch at the impact. Blood begins to gush from his nose as he stumbles off of me, holding his nose and shouting in anger.

I break free from the restraints on my hands. I quickly move to my legs and untie them. He comes charging at me and I kick him in the shin, then elbow him in the throat. He staggers away from me and I run over to Laetitia and untie her from her restraints. She gets up and looks over at Standish with wide eyes as he holds a gun to us. I freeze at the sight as he looks angrier than I have ever seen a man.

"She was so magnificent!" He boasts wildly. "She was my wife and she sacrificed everything."

He pulls out a gun and points it at Laetitia. "She doesn't want _her_ vessel, but maybe she will want _yours_." He says approaching Laetitia.

I run up to him, grabbing for the gun when he throws me to the ground. My head smacks onto the edge a desk and I feel my vision begin to blur. I look around, trying to get a hold of my surroundings. I shake my head, trying desperately to focus my vision as I hear the commotion of Standish trying to apprehend Laetitia. I look in the corner of the office where I see the image of my father form in my blurred vision. I see him fighting an Assassin. He kills one then runs to another Assassin that holds a woman in his arms as a hostage. I watch as my father drops his gun and lets the man run away. He runs to the woman and embraces her in a hug. He kisses her deeply and passionately. I rub my eyes squinting at the vision. It is clear, the woman in the arms of my father is Laetitia.

I look away from the hallucination and focus on Laetitia. Standish pushes her and punches her in the face. She falls to the ground and he pulls his gun at her. My heart races and I can't let him hurt her. I know that I have to act quickly. I get up and without thinking another second, I run in front of the gun. I hear the shot, and the sound deafens my hearing. I fall to the ground and once I do, I instantly feel the pain in my leg. I look down to see blood spilling from the wound, staining my jeans in blood. Laetitia grabs me and cradles me, holding onto my leg as I feel myself slipping from the loss of blood.

A commotion begins outside of the office and Standish cusses under his breath. He heads out the window as two Abstergo guards burst through the doors. "He went out the window" Laetitia yells at the guards, "Kill that fucker and get me a medic!" She yells wildly as she wipes the sweat from her forehead, getting my blood on her face. "Hang in there Amelia, we are getting you help." I look down to see just how much blood I have lost and the sight makes me even more lightheaded. "Amelia, stay awake god damnit!" She yells at me as I feel myself fading.

"Tell Lilly I… I am sorry." I tell her and she shakes her head not wanting to hear it.

"Stop that!" She yells at me. "They are getting the medic." She says to me. "Is someone getting me a fucking medic!" Laetitia yells out frantically.

"Tell her," I say to her and she shakes her head. "Fuck Laetitia, listen to me!" I feel myself fading and my head getting lightheaded. "I shouldn't have left her… I'm sorry." My voice echoes as I fade.

 _Dalton was sweating as he was fighting the Assassin that pinned him down. He was growing angrier at the advancements the Assassin was making on him. He could hear his partner's cries for help as the Assassin on her was getting the upper hand on her. Dalton knew that he had to act quickly before the Assassin would kill her. He gained the upper hand on the Assassin before him, snapping his neck and casting him aside to take on the other._

 _Dalton ran to her aid as the Assassin held his hidden blade to her neck. "One step closer and I slit her throat." The man had called out to Dalton._

 _She looked at him with pressed and fearful eyes. The sight had stung for Dalton, and he did not want to see such fear painted on her face. Dalton pulled out his gun and the Assassin tightened his blade against her neck, drawing blood. "Don't!" Dalton called out to him, swallowing hard. "Let her go." Dalton said pointing the gun to his head. There was no doubt that Dalton could take the shot and kill the Assassin, but he feared the man would kill her with his last dying movement._

 _Dalton was at an impasse and had to make a decision; was the man's death more important to him than her life? With this realization, Dalton rolled his jaw, and with a growl of frustration, put his gun down in submission. She looked at him with shock, knowing how hard it was for Dalton to admit defeat. The Assassin took the gesture and pushed her into his arms, running out of the tunnels and leaving the two Templars alone._

 _She looked up at him with tear-filled eyes and he could not look at her this way. "You should have shot him," She scolded him. "I know you had the shot."_

 _"I couldn't let him hurt you." Dalton said quietly looking into her blue ocean eyes._

 _She smiled at the thought, knowing that if it were anyone else, he wouldn't have hesitated at the shot. She pressed her lips to his and he entangled his in hers. He moaned at her advancement and took a deep breath to draw in her intoxicating scent. He had pulled away from her, unable to kiss her any longer without saying, "stay with me tonight. I need you."_

 _She looked up at him with sad eyes, "You should go home to your family, Dalton." She said unable to meet his eyes when she said this._

 _Dalton clenched his jaw tightly, and moved himself away from her, brushing his suit of debris. He cleared his throat and looked down at her as she held herself closely. "Look me in the eyes and say that." He challenged her._

 _She looked up at him with tangled brows, eyes full of confliction. "I don't want to see you tonight." She said in an unconvincing tone. He grabbed her face and searched her eyes for a sliver of truth and found none._

 _"That was pathetic." He said harshly and she looked away from him and pushed on his chest to escape him. He scoffed at her attempt to refuse him and smiled at her lovingly. "Laetitia, I_ need _you tonight." He said to her, and her defiance crumbled before him. She pressed her lips to his and he knew that she was his tonight._

I moan as a rush of pain fills my body. I try to move my head but it is too heavy and painful to move. I open my eyes and look up at the ceiling to be greeted by a blinding florescent white light. I groan at the light and shut my eyes tightly. I finally gather the strength to move my head when I see Laetitia sitting on a chair next to me. I begin to gather my surroundings to realize that I am in a hospital bed.

Laetitia looks up at me from her phone and smiles at me, "You're awake. Are you feeling alright?" She says in a somber tone.

I look around and try to remember what happened that led me to here. I remember Standish. I remember him pinning me to the ground, and trying to administer some kind of drug. The shot rings in my ears and I moan remembering the pain, shutting my eyes tightly. I think about the shot to my leg and I realize that every inch of my body hurts except for my right leg. My heart races and I frantically grab at the blankets that lay atop my body. Tears begin to fall down my face as the fear begins to set in.

"Amelia, I wouldn't…" She says trying to stop me. I pull the covers off of my body and look down at my leg. My heart drops with relief to see that my leg is still attached to my body, but Laetitia speaks up somberly. "The bullet shattered your femur." She says with a frown. "You were in surgery for 18 hours. They were able to remove most of the bullet fragments and bone shards but…" She looks away from me and out the window. I turn looking at her, watching as she chews on her thumb, not wanting to continue this. With tangled brows she continues, "There was irreversible nerve damage." She swallows still unable to look at me. "You will have limited mobility in your leg, and it will never be strong enough to support your weight without a cane or crutch."

I look away from her, tears beginning to fill my eyes. "What does this mean about field missions?" I ask her.

I see her drop her head in the corner of my eyes and shake slightly. "Unfortunately, Amelia, the damage is so severe, you will never be cleared to enter the field again."

I begin shaking violently as I lose all sense of strength. I let out the sob I tried to hold back.

"Amelia, I am so—"

"Get out." I say to her and she does not move. "Get out!" I yell at her, finally looking at her and seeing the look of shame in her eyes for the first time.

She looks at me with wet and saddened eyes. I can see that she is broken about this, and that she has been crying over this for hours. She can no longer watch the fury in my eyes and throws her head down. She lifts herself from her chair and heads out of the room. Once the door closes behind her, I begin sobbing uncontrollably.

A few hours pass and after being left alone for a while, I hear the sound of my door click open. I turn my head slightly and I light up when I see Juhani enter the room slowly. I am unable to contain my feelings when I see him and I begin crying as he approaches me. He frowns at my tears and comes running to me. He grabs my head and buries my head in his chest. I inhale his scent deeply, feeling so peaceful smelling the musky scent of him again for the first time in so long.

I begin sobbing in his chest and he presses me harder to him. He strokes my head back and forth, trying to sooth me. "Juhani, my leg…" I say unable to finish the sentence.

"I know, my love." He says in a sad tone. He continues to hold me and begins rocking me. "I know," is all he can say, not knowing what else to say about the situation.

I pull away from him and look up at him. He frowns down at me with saddened eyes. I press my lips to his and he pushes his harder against mine. He places his hand on the back of my neck and kisses me harder than he ever has. I pull away from him and press my forehead to his and with a quivering voice I say, "I missed you so much."

He pulls away from me and wipes a tear from my cheek with his thumb. He looks into my swollen eyes and frowns seeing me this sad. "They are looking at discharging you by the end of the week." He says pulling away from me and sitting at the edge of the bed. "Your actions in protecting Laetitia haven't gone unnoticed." Juhani says and I look up at him. "The Inner Sanctum was shocked at your willingness to risk your life for Laetitia's. They commended you for risking your life and have given you the title of Grand Master and permanent member of the Inner Sanctum." He smiles at me, but the news does not make me happy.

"So, I am a Grand Master that cannot go on the field and needs a cane to get around?" I say bitterly and he frowns. "I am sorry Juhani, but this news is not as well received as you wanted it to be." I say bitterly.

He swallows hard, "The Inner Sanctum has asked that you continue your work with Abstergo Entertainment. Turns out, John Standish, the man who shot you, had precursor DNA." I look at him with pressed brows and he continues. "The memories of the First Civilization were imbedded in his DNA, meaning that we have a direct tie to the First Civilization and their technologies."

"The Piece of Eden." I let out and he nods.

"If we get more precursor DNA, we can unlock the location of all Pieces."

"So that is the next thing Abstergo will be chasing? After the failure of the Observatory—which probably doesn't even exist—they are going to waste our time looking for psychopaths with alien DNA." I scoff and look away from Juhani, unable to take him seriously.

He sighs deeply when the door clicks open and I see Laetitia enter the room. "The doctor needs to administer another set of pain relievers." She says peering from the door. Juhani nods once and she enters with the doctor as they approach me.

The doctor asks me a few questions and I absentmindedly answer them. They administer the drugs into my IV and quickly leave the room. I watch to see that Laetitia doesn't leave so I speak up. "Juhani tells me that Abstergo Entertainment is now looking for people like Standish."

She swallows hard and holds her arms tightly to her chest. "They are called Sages. They have precursor DNA and can be instrumental in locating the Pieces of Eden." She says quietly.

"Are they all going to be as unhinged as Standish?" I ask her angrily. "Am I going to be shot as a test to see if they are really batshit enough to have precursor DNA?"

"Amelia," Juhani warns me, but I brush him away.

"No," I say looking at him. "Abstergo needs to acknowledge the _gross oversight_ of doing a proper background check on Standish. They failed to check into him properly and because of this, I am a fucking cripple with a bullshit title that means nothing if I cannot go into the field!" I yell and Laetitia tenses, "And for what?" I say looking at Laetitia, "So someone past her prime can walk out of here unscathed." I say bitterly.

"I didn't ask you to take that bullet for me." She says angrily.

"There is nothing that can be done about it!" Juhani calls out in a parental tone. "There is no point dwelling on it." He says looking at me angrily.

"Measurements can be put into place to ensure this doesn't happen again." I say.

"Of course," Laetitia says. "We have already upped our security personnel—"

"I want Sigma Team." I interrupt her. Both Juhani and Laetitia look at me with shocked eyes. "If you want me to put myself in front of these people, I want Sigma Team as my back up."

"Amelia, I don't think that is a valuable use of Sigma Team." Laetitia says.

"The safety of _my_ life is not a valuable use of Sigma Team?" I ask her condescendingly and she bites her lip. "The life of the person who saved your useless fucking existence."

"That is not what I meant." She says in an apologetic tone. "I just mean… they are field agents."

"Fine, just Juhani then." I bargain. "Give me him, and the rest can waste their time chasing whatever mythical place you fashioned with for the week."

"Amelia," she says with a heavy sigh. "I know about your relationship with Berg," she says carefully and Juhani stiffens in my peripheral. "The Inner Sanctum will question the use of Berg and when they find out about your inappropriate relationship, they will put an end to it." She says solemnly.

Juhani looks at me with sad eyes. "Mila, it is not worth the risk." He says affectionately.

"Laetitia," I say with a sigh, "There is nothing 'inappropriate' about my relationship with Berg." I say looking at her with cold eyes. "There was, however, something exceptionally inappropriate with the relationship between you and my _married_ father." She drops her arms in shock and Juhani lifts himself from the bed in the same shock. "So, unless you want the Inner Sanctum to know about how you crawled into the bed of a married Grand Master when you were only an initiate, fucking your way to the top; I would advise that you approve Juhani's transfer to Abstergo Entertainment."

Laetitia stands completely frozen in shock at my comment, unable to respond or process what has been said. After a moment of gaining her composure, she simply nods once and leaves the room, unable to say a word to me. I look over a Juhani and he looks down at me with tangled brows. He looks completely disappointed in me and the image stings. He shakes his head in disbelief wanting to scold me for attacking her like that, but he is too disappointed to even say anything to me, and instead walks out of the room without saying a word to me.

The few days pass quickly and I am discharged with a heaping pile of pain medication that is said not to affect the Bleeding Effect. After helping me with my discharge paperwork, Juhani helps me into a wheel chair, that I am told I will have to use for a while until I gain the strength to move to the cane. Juhani pushes me to the lobby where I see my sister waiting for me. I light up at the sight of her and I find myself smiling for the first time in a long time.

"Mila!" She calls out to me and Juhani pushes me to her. I lean over to her and give her an awkward hug with both of us being confined in a chair. "I am sorry I couldn't see you when you were admitted, I—"

"I don't care." I tell her, "I am so happy you are here now." I say with teary eyes.

She pulls away from me and Juhani pushes me out of the lobby while Lilly follows next to me. Juhani stops us at the roundabout of the hospital, waiting for the cab to pick us up. Lilly rolls up next to me and I look over to her. I am on her level and when she looks over at me, I begin laughing. They both look at me with concerned eyes and I look at my sister with watery eyes. "Now no one is going to be able to tell us apart." I say with a laugh mixed with a sob. Lilly looks away from me and up to Juhani with concerned eyes, not seeing the humor of the situation but I continue to laugh at the misfortune that has become my life.

 **3 Months Later**

I type at my computer while Juhani speaks with Violet in the hallway. To draw attention away from our relationship, Laetitia gained permission to ground Sigma Team to screen all potential Sage candidates for the safety of all staff at Abstergo Entertainment. Once the Sages are screened and approved by Sigma team, they will be permitted to return to the field. Until then, if I want Juhani by my side, I will unfortunately have to deal with Violet as well.

I strain my ears to hear what Violet and Juhani say to one another. I overhear Violet asking Juhani if he regrets being benched and asks if he misses the field. Juhani responds saying that he naturally misses the field, but their presence within Abstergo Entertainment is imperative.

"Just feels like we are acting more as a babysitter than a crucial security detail." She says spitefully. I glance over at her through the glass wall that shields us, and I can tell that she speaks of me. Juhani says something to her in a lowered voice that I cannot hear. "She shot me, Berg." She responds in a pressed tone. "She is a disaster. I get that she saved Laetitia, but she is coocoo for Cocoa Puffs upstairs, and we can't just sweep it under the rug that she is so unstable that our real purpose here is to make sure she doesn't go ballistic on anyone."

"We are here because that 'disaster' risked her life to protect an Inner Sanctum member, and now we are here to do the same." He says sternly.

"Sorry, Boss. I didn't mean to offend you." She says as a beaten puppy with her tail between her legs.

"Go touch base with Melanie and see if she needs any assistance with the Initiates." He tells her and she nods her head obediently.

He enters the office and smiles at me. I look up at him from my keypad and frown at him. "You should really tell Violet that if she doesn't want people to hear her, she should work on the levels of her shrill voice." I say bitterly to him.

"Naturally, you are not her favorite, what with the whole shooting her foot thing." Juhani says flashing a perfect smile my way.

"Does she know about us?" I ask him as he sits against the desk with his legs crossed.

"No," He says simply. "I have ensured to be discrete." He says. I place my hand on his thigh and squeeze it. He takes my hand and places it gently back on the desk. "I would ask that you would show the same discretion while I am here." I frown at him and he smiles at me with a warm chuckle.

"While I have you here, have you heard about this?" I ask him showing him a video of the Phoenix Project.

"Yes, I thought this was common knowledge." He says confused.

"It is," I say to him. "On our servers, but I am on the Assassin's servers right now."

"How?" He asks me in a tense tone.

"I found a way in when Standish was here. Several files are being converted over to their servers, including this one." He watches me as I pull more countless files that are being leaked over. "They are being transferred over by an alias called 'Bishop'. Have you heard of that alias?"

"Bishop?" He questions, "No, I haven't heard of any agent by that alias. Assassins typically don't use an alias."

"This one does." I say in deep thought looking at my computer.

"Are you going to log onto the shareholder's meeting tonight?" He asks me as I begin typing sequence.

"I have been asked to sit this one out. Something about wanting to 'avoid unwarranted outbursts and snide commentary'." Juhani holds a smile back and I look up at him with a sideways smile. "Tell me what invaluable feats of ingenuity Alan and his team are up to this quarter."

"I will spare no detail." Juhani says winking at me and with a kiss on the forehead, he leaves me to my work on Bishop.

Hours pass and I continue to comb the servers for any information on Bishop, but I have nothing. I come across text message threads between Gavin Banks and Harlan Cunningham, asking if either of them knows any information on Bishop and neither seem to have a clue of who this person is, and the only person who seems to know anything about this person is Rebecca Crane. I scratch my head, still trying to figure this one out.

I feel my eyes going crossed so I decide to table the search for Bishop. I push my wheelchair from the table and head towards the elevator that takes me to my room. I look at my phone to see that it is past 3 in the morning. I look through Ellen's emails in the elevator, while it climbs to my floor. Nothing important or worth while has been sent around, but I continue to monitor it for any new developments.

The sound of the elevator dings and the doors open to greet me into my suite. I enter my room and struggle to get myself undressed and showered. Abstergo has provided me with a handicap accessible suite that I can use the wheelchair in.

After the accident, I was told by the doctors that with extensive physical therapy, I could move forward with a cane within nine months' time. I have refused the physical therapy every time it is provided for me, so I can focus on figuring out the Assassin's next plan of action. I tell myself that I am busy being an asset to the Templars internally, however, the truth is, I am trying to distract myself from the realization that I will never be able to walk on my own again.

After struggling in the shower, I struggle into my pajamas and plop myself into my bed. I groan in pain as I swing my legs onto the bed. I find it harder to sleep since the shooting. It could be from the trauma, or the pain. Either way, I have become restless and my insomnia has grown worse.

I wake up a few hours later, unable to sleep longer than 3 hours. I head to my office where I continue to search our servers for any data entries that Bishop or anyone else can be exploiting. Juhani enters my office as he pulls on his black leather jacket. "What happened to the suits?" I ask him as I notice that he wears black cargo pants, combat boots, and a black and red leather jacket.

"Have you been in here all night?" He diverts the question.

"No, I was able to get some sleep last night." I lie to him.

"I told the shareholders about Bishop." Juhani says.

I look at him with shocked eyes. "How did they take the information?"

"They requested that you continue to look into the matter. They have also requested Lilly aid with the Initiates Program to see if she can dig something up."

"That is good news." I say. "Maybe I will get some traction on this person." I tell him as I go back to typing on my computer.

"Would you like to go out for a walk with me?" He asks and immediately bites his lips realizing he used the word 'walk'. "I mean get out for some fresh air?" He corrects himself and I sigh.

"No, I am fine." I tell him and he sighs with disappointment. He leaves the office without another word and I continue to work without looking back at him.

 **Two Months Later**

I sit there reading the email over and over again. It is a code of some sort. Bishop is contacting Rebecca Crane, but I am still no closer to knowing who Bishop is. Through some digging, I have found that Bishop is a female that has a past with Rebecca Crane. From there, I have hit a wall. Surprisingly, Lilly and her Initiates Program has been unhelpful in the unmasking of Bishop, and I have stopped asking for her help in the matter. I have hacked Bishop's emails, but she rarely sends information, and when she does, it is in code that I have yet to crack.

I take a break and head to the lobby where I am asked by Melanie to retrieve more Brahman sets. I head to the basement and get a cart ready to bring the sets up. The cart is difficult to handle with my wheelchair, but I manage to gather the Brahman.

I can't help but hear the overwhelming humming of the Animus in the corner. I swallow hard, wondering if I should enter the Animus, feeling it pulling me in. I figure that I can be fast and pull a quick memory from the Animus and return to the lobby without anyone's notice. I haven't had a vision of Andre in a while, and I am eager to see what happens.

I struggle to enter the Animus, my leg becoming dead weight as the months go by. I swing my leg over unto the Animus and lie down. The memory begins to pull as I slip into the Animus

 _Andre watched the young recruits fight. He called out commands and positions for the boys to take. They continued to fight one another and Andre smiled to himself, knowing these boys will become strong brothers of the Order if he continued to train them as he did._

 _He watched as Bernard and a few other Knights returned to the castle. Andre watched the men carefully as they dismounted their horses and entered the castle. Andre left the boys and headed for the castle._

 _"Bernard, may I have a word?" He called out to his brother._

 _"Speak quickly, Andre. I have much to do. What is your concern." The brother said with a snide tone._

 _Andre begrudgingly bowed his head to his Grand Master. "My concern is that you leave these gates without me by your side. I am a founder of this Order, and it was my coin that brought us to this position. You treat me as a novice, keep me in the shadows of your dealings while you tell the other brothers of your business. I wish to be involved."_

 _The Knight scoffs at the comment. "Andre," he called in a patronizing tone. "de Paynes was a fool to trust you and your coin to influence the Order. Had he known you would dangle the notion before him for your advantage, he would have never taken the gesture." He spat. "Robert was even more a fool not to consider you a threat. Tell me Andre, what did happen to our brother and Grand Master the night he was killed?"_

 _"What are you insinuating, Brother?" Andre spoke with clenched teeth._

 _"Robert was a target of his pride, and Everard was a feeble man to his faith. But it is I, Andre that will prove to be your most troublesome adversary. Tell me brother, how have you conspired to usurp the title of Grand Master from me?" He smiled with ill intention._

 _"I do not know of what you speak." Andre stood tall and ready to take his Brother's life here._

 _"Killing me, Andre will not give you the throne." He told the Knight. "The Order has moved against you, and I have ensured that with my death comes your fall within the Order. The Brother's know of your thirst for the thrown as a whore thirsts for sin." He smiled his sickening smile. "So, brother, how do you conspire to take my life?"_

I jump out of the Animus, breathing heavily with a splitting head. I walk away from the Animus as my heart beats heavily. I begin pacing wondering what I just saw when something catches my attention. I look down to see that I am holding all my weight on my bad leg. I cannot feel the pain anymore. I move my leg and there is no pain or discomfort. I walk around the basement for a moment, walking normal again. "Holy shit." I let out with happiness. I look back at the Animus. It must be a form of the Bleeding Effect. If I can learn how to fight like Andre from the Animus, then it maybe it healed my leg as Andre does not have a leg wound.

I smile to myself, heading to the elevator when I begin to feel the pain of my leg again. My thigh gives out and I catch myself on a table before I fall to the ground. "Fuck", I let out. I look back at the Animus. It takes weeks of being in the Animus to learn the skill of Andre's fighting. I wonder if I continue to enter the Animus if my leg will heal indefinitely. If that is the case, I will be able to enter the field again. I head back to the Animus, lifting myself onto it. I go to the computer and type in another sequence. I am sweating profusely, wondering if this will work and if I will be able to walk again.

 _Andre watched his brother with wary eyes, and with a swift movement, Andre took out his blade and held it to his brother's chin. "The title is rightfully mine." Andre said to the man._

 _"Then take it Andre." Bernard smiled testily at the man. "Sojourn your reluctance and take what you desire so dearly."_

 _Andre lunged at the man and he dodged his attack. Andre grew angry and slashed at the man. Bernard pulled out his sword and held it against Andre. He pulled his sword against Andre, attempting to slash at him, but Andre had dodged his advancement._

 _The two men were equally matched in skill, unlike Robert, Andre was unable to gain the advantage on Bernard. Andre grew angrier at the notion and slashed at his brother. Andre sliced his brother, and in the shock of the advancement, Andre punched the man, breaking his nose and causing him to lose his footing and fall to the ground. Andre approached his brother with a wicked smile of triumph._

 _"See it done then," Bernard called out to his brother, on the floor admitting defeat. "Send me to the afterlife, but know that it will not be God who greets you when your time comes." He spat blood at the Knight's feet._

 _"No Bernard," Andre spoke softly to the Knight on the floor. "It is not your time to depart this realm. But know that when it is, it will not be I who sends you to the hereafter, it will be the will of God that you no longer walk this earth." And with that, Andre had left his Grand Master on the ground, beaten and bloodied._

I come out of the Animus with a splitting headache. Being in the Animus multiple times drains my energy and I figure that I won't be able to do another session inside. I look down at my leg and to my awe, I feel fine and I am able to put all my weight on my leg again. My eyes water with excitement and I swing my legs off of the Animus and walk around for a moment, feeling no pain in my leg.

I leave the basement, bringing the cart and my wheel chair with me. I do a few squats and lunges in the elevator. I shake my leg and feel no more pain coming from my leg. It as though I am back to normal. I sit down in my wheelchair for the moment. I cannot tell Juhani that I entered the Animus until I gather my strength and rid myself of the wheelchair altogether.

I hand Melanie the Brahman when I see Laetitia in the corner of my eyes. I shoot her a stabbing glare and she motions me to join her in her office. I wheel myself in her office, and once I enter the threshold, she closes the door behind me. She takes a moment to address me. She sighs and says, "I received an email from Rizzo. He tells me that you continue to refuse physical therapy."

"There are more important matters at hand." I tell her.

"We have Lilly and the Initiates Program working on the identity of Bishop. You can take a break and work on yourself while they gather information."

"Lilly has come up with nothing." I say harshly. "I have leads; her connections with Rebecca. I am so close to figuring out their code and finding their hideout."

"And what about your wellbeing?" She asks me.

I pause for a moment. Now that I know about the Animus, I can no longer think about physical therapy as this will be a quicker result to my ultimate goal. "I am fine where I am." I tell her simply and she frowns.

"Juhani claims you're distant." She says hesitantly.

I exhale angrily at her bringing him into this. "He wanted discretion." I say with a pressed tone. "He can't expect me to pour out my emotions when he doesn't want me to touch him."

"I want you to focus on your health. I have asked Rizzo to begin your physical therapy so that you may at least move to the cane." She says slowly, hoping not to offend me.

"Fine. If that is what you would like to retire this conversation, I will meet with Rizzo."

She puts her head down and inhales deeply. "Are you alright, Amelia?" She asks me. "He is worried that you have become obsessive over Bishop."

"Bishop has the potential of becoming our biggest threat to the Order. If I don't do something about her, she will cripple the Order."

"Your father said the same thing about William Miles." She says sadly looking down at her hands.

"And look where that got him." I tell her coldly finishing her thought, pushing myself away from her desk and heading out of her office.

"Amelia," she calls out to me. I look back at her. "Be careful." She says simply and I leave her office without another word.

 **Two Months Later**

I have been entering the Animus more and more, as the days go by and my strength in my leg continues to build. I can now walk normally without the pain of my leg returning. I continue to enter the Animus, wanting to build my strength to enter the field once more. I have used Rizzo's physical therapy as a guise and use a cane to get around the building. Though I do not need the cane to get around, I pretend I do to mask my use of the Animus.

As the days go by, they begin to increase the security around the building as the Assassins continue to gain further information on us. I lean against the wall as I listen to Laetitia and Juhani address the importance of security with the rest of Sigma Team and other field recruits.

"With the continuous security breaches, we will be monitoring you all more closely." Juhani begins, "It is imperative that you all understand, this is not due to a lack of trust, but rather assurance that we all hold the best intentions of the Order." He says and no one seems to stiffen at the notion. "We will be monitoring your card punches, and any unauthorized movements will be addressed immediately."

My heart begins to race as I think about my frequent trips to the basement. Juhani and Laetitia will question my visits to the basement, and once they learn that I have found the Animus down there, they will take it from me. I begin to panic internally, wondering how I will explain away my presence in the basement. I go over every scenario, and there is no way I can explain my presence down there.

I feel myself getting hot at the notion that I will not be able to enter the Animus down there unless I figure something out. I look over at Violet in my peripheral to see her key card hanging from her jacket. I smile to myself, figuring a way around this security change.

Once Juhani and Laetitia finish speaking, I approach Violet. I bump into her, and with ease, I switch out her key card for mine. "Oh, I am so sorry, Violet." I tell her, placing my card in her jacket. "I am still trying to get used to the cane." I say innocently.

She scowls at me but says, "it's fine."

I smile to myself and leave her, heading towards Juhani. "Are these new security measures really necessary?" I ask him.

"Unfortunately, it seems so." He says simply. "Would I be able to see you tonight?" He asks me quietly, whispering in my ear.

I look over his shoulder at Laetitia who watches us carefully. I smile to myself knowing that the information I have on her and my father's relationship is keeping her from telling the Order about mine and Juhani's. "I would love that." I tell him with a smile and he lights up at my answer.

After a while of searching for more information about Bishop, and coming up with nothing, I decide to retire the search for the night, and head to bed. I grab my cane and head to my suite. I open the door to see Juhani is already there waiting for me. He smiles at me warmly, and as soon as I close the door, he comes to me and places his warm lips on mine.

He moans as soon as we are touching and I can feel his lips curve up in a smile. "I have missed this so much." He says with a sigh. I tug off his jacket and hold onto his chest as he kisses me deeply.

He moves me to the bed and places me carefully atop the mattress, being mindful of my leg that does not hurt me. He places his hands on my jeans, unbuttoning them, and slipping them off with my panties. He moves his hands upwards to my shirt and bra. I smile up at him and he springs with excitement. He presses himself inside me, filling me up for the first time in so long. I let out a yelp, feeling him inside me, wrapping my arms around him and pressing him close to me. He feels amazing. He pulls away from me, moving his hands on my hips and holds onto me tightly as he thrusts harder. I throw my head back exclaiming in pleasure as I shut my eyes and focus on the feeling.

I pull my head back and look onto him when I see Andre on top of me in return. I shut my eyes tightly, knowing that it is not him and it is just the Bleeding Effect fucking with me. I open my eyes, hoping that Andre is gone, but I am instead greeted with the vision of Daniel on top of me. He smiles at me menacingly and I groan at the sight of him. I shut my eyes tightly and look away wishing him and the visions away.

I hear Juhani moan in pleasure and I look back up at him. He is back and I touch his face as he comes close to climaxing. I pull my head back, feeling myself coming close as well. I look back at him one more time, feeling him harden inside me, when the image of Standish takes over Juhani. I look at him in shock, unable to move, frozen at the wretched sight of him. "What is wrong my love?" Standish asks with a sinister smile on his face.

I push him off of me and begin screaming, 'Get the fuck off of me!" I yell with all my strength. I crawl up into a sitting position and when I do, I look at the foot of the bed to see a confused Juhani.

"Amelia, are you alright?" He asks me with concern. "What happened?" He asks approaching me slowly.

"I…I am sorry." I tell him trying to gather my senses. I get up out of the bed and grab a silk robe to cover myself up. I walk over to the sink, washing my face. I turn around and see the shock on his face when he sees that I got up out of bed without using the cane. He looks down at my leg then back at me. "Juhani, I can explain." I tell him when I see the confusion on his face when he sees me moving without the cane. "I… the physical therapy… I have been working very hard with Rizzo and…" I continue to stumble on my words as I see the gears in his head begin turning, coming to the realization. "I didn't mean to yell at you." I say as I approach him.

"The Bleeding Effect." He says simply.

"No," I say shaking my head. "It has been my time with Rizzo. The physical therapy has been so helpful." He pushes me away from him, grabbing his boxers and pulling them on him. "Juhani please," I call out to him as he gets dressed. "What was I supposed to do?" I yell and he stops getting dressed and looks at me with shocked eyes. "I found the Animus and when my leg felt better after entering Andre's memories… I… I couldn't resist." He shakes his head as he pulls on his jacket and begins to head out the door. "You would have done it too!" I call out to him.

He stops at the door and looks back at me. "No, I wouldn't have." He says simply, closing the door behind him.

I fall to my knees, running my fingers through my hair at the realization that Juhani will have the Animus removed from the basement and my possession. "Fuck!" I yell loudly, shaking in hatred at the circumstances, knowing that without the Animus, I don't have a chance of entering the field again.

 **One Week Later**

I chew on my nails as I wait for the conference to start up. I keep my eyes on my papers, unable to look at Juhani or Laetitia who sit in the room with me. I look at my notes, going over them. My leg bounces nervously as I try to gather my thoughts for the presentation. Laetitia tells me that we are going live and I straighten myself and look presentable.

"Good evening everyone and welcome to the third quarter stakeholders meeting." Ellen greets. They begin with speaking of yearly spending's to date and achievements that each subsidiary has been involved with.

"I'd like to give the floor to Amelia now and her work in strengthening the Abstergo servers." Laetitia says.

"Thank you, Laetitia." I say as I stand and begin my report. "Over the last quarter, we have had 73 breaches in our security throughout the Abstergo network. 58 of those breaches have stemmed from an alias that goes by 'Bishop'. As Otso Berg mentioned in last quarter's meeting." I begin. "Bishop has taken information regarding the Phoenix Project, DNA documentation on John Standish, and memory banks of French Revolution Assassin, Arno Dorian."

"With the data entries stolen from the servers, what do you believe Bishop is doing with this information?" Isabelle Ardant questions.

"That cannot be said for sure, but I speculate that she is searching for Sage DNA, possibly in hopes to use this to locate Piece of Eden artifacts." I respond.

"Where are the breaches coming from?" Doctor Gramatica asks.

"Various Abstergo servers, but most are being breached under the Entertainment subsidiary."

"So, Abstergo Entertainment has proven again to be a problematic subdivision of the Order." Agneta Reider states and I watch as a sinister smile curves up Alan's lips.

"I have just uploaded the memories we have gathered from Shay Cormac and his turn to the Templar Order." Juhani jumps in to justify Abstergo Entertainment's work. "We are hoping that with this memory, the Assassins realize that we again are in their ranks, and their Creed is weak compared to our Order. I imagine the video will stir up some communication within the Creed."

"Well with this move, we must ensure that the communications are monitored carefully." Agneta says. "Why are we not utilizing our actual computer analyst to ensure these breaches are being taken care of?" She asks speaking of my sister. "Lilly is a decorated analyst who has proven with her Initiates Program that she knows her way around the computer. I am confident that if she was in charge of this clean up, these fractures in security would be handled."

"Lilly's Initiates have failed in aiding this threat." I call out angrily. Everyone grows tense and I look at my sister through the screen on the projection, seeing the shock on her face. "I apologize for the outburst," I say gathering myself. "But I have been working around the clock to ensure that Bishop's attempts on our intelligence are stopped. Getting some credit for this work would be appreciated."

"Amelia is right." My sister calls out over the video chat. "My Initiates have little information on Bishop. She has eluded us, and I cannot help any more than I already have."

"Oh, do not be modest Lilly," Alan boasts. "Lilly and her Initiates have gathered that Bishop has the support of William Miles, who has gone out of hiding to aid her in the information they seek. I would say the Initiates has aided tremendously in evaluating this threat." Alan speaks up.

My heart drops and I look at Alan through the screen of the projection. People begin to speak but I tune them out. "How did you know that?" I ask him and everyone stops talking. "How did you know that Bishop is working with William Miles? That he is out of hiding?" I ask him with widen eyes. Alan smiles at the camera and Lilly swallows hard looking away from the camera. "Lilly, how does he know that?" I raise my voice.

"I asked Lilly to gather information on Bishop when you addressed the issue. She hadn't yet reported the merger between Bishop and Mister Miles, but I saw the information on her computer." He says with a sideways smile.

I look over at Lilly who looks visibly uncomfortable at Alan looking on her computer without her knowledge. "Where did you find the information, Lilly?" I ask her. "I have been searching Bishop for months and there was no information that she teamed up with William." I say.

"Maybe, Amelia, Lilly is just better than you are at this sort of thing. Why not leave the analytics to the analyst? Hum?" Alan says condescendingly.

"That is enough." Ellen speaks up. "Amelia will surrender all of her findings on Bishop to Lilly, who will continue to search the identity and intentions of this agent until the threat is removed. If there isn't anything else, the third quarter shareholder's meeting is finalized."

The video ends and Juhani and Laetitia sit in the room with me, tense and quiet. I place my fists on the table, breathing heavily, trying to remember the breathing exercises that Doctor Sung taught me when I grew angry, but I cannot hold my temper and I toss the projector across the room. Laetitia jumps at the action but Juhani stays still.

I begin punching the wall, yelling violently in a red rage. Juhani raises from his chair and grabs a hold of me. "Don't touch me!" I yell at him as I push him away. "William Miles is out of hiding and has teamed up with the person that I have been tracking for months and my fucking sister knew about it this entire time!" I yell out.

"Amelia, calm yourself." Juhani says in a stern voice. "Lilly probably just found this information, she hadn't even turned it into Alan. She was probably going to tell you after the shareholders meeting."

I look away from Juhani to Laetitia with wet eyes. "Please don't take me off of this mission." I beg her.

"There is nothing I can do, Amelia." She says in a wavering voice.

"So, I have become useless once again." I say, pushing past Juhani and heading out of the office. I walk into the hall where I feel my leg cramp up. I grab onto my leg and lean up against the wall. I take a deep breath and try to gather my strength. I slam my head against the wall as another thing is taken from me.

Two weeks have passed and I have done nothing for the Order. There is no point to me working on Bishop, and since surrendering all my information to Lilly, I have no more information on her movements. I walk around the compound aimlessly without any guidance or purpose. I feel myself falling into a deep depression at my lack of position within the Order. I have been trying to search information on William and Bishop, but my access to the servers have been removed. Ellen's way of making sure that I stay out of this. I have still been receiving her emails, and any updates that Lilly provides her regarding Bishop come up short on any information since the meeting.

I help Violet with the temps as they continue to work on searching ties to Sages throughout history, but I find the work to be dull and unfulfilling. Juhani also refuses to speak or work with me since he learned that I entered the Animus to heal my leg.

Since my removal from observing Bishop and her actions, I have focused on Rebecca Crane to get my information on Bishop. Rebecca is the only person who knows Bishop's identity, so finding Rebecca might lead to finding Bishop, plus, her information is not blocked from me like Bishop is.

I look down at the key card that I swiped from Violet. I know that with this key card, Violet will be recorded for going everywhere that I swipe the card. So, they will believe that the late-night visits to the basement are Violet and not me. I watch as Violet and Melanie go at it with one another about the temp's morale. I take the opportunity to head towards the basement and into the Animus. Juhani has not told anyone about my use of the Animus, knowing that they will commit me if they do, so the Animus remains untouched in the basement. I have caught him down here a few times, keeping an eye on the Animus, hoping to catch me using it, but I have been careful to only come down here when I know he won't be here himself.

I approach the device, type in the sequence to fetch Andre's memories and lie down. I take in a deep breath before entering the memories of the Animus. I think about Juhani and how angry he was that I entered the Animus for my leg. I know that I am risking my mental state for my physical one makes little sense to Juhani, but the feeling of uselessness is beginning to become overbearing.

I exit the Animus already feeling stronger in my leg. I decide that I should head back before someone notices, and I help Violet with the temps.

Over the next few days, I continue to either enter the Animus, or log on gathering information on Rebecca. She is with Gavin Banks and Shaun Hastings, sailing in the Altair II. I am unable to pinpoint their location, but I am to gather information on her. I have found chats between her and Bishop, with Bishop providing Rebecca internal Abstergo information that seems impossible to gather. I wonder how Bishop is getting this information on us, and if Lilly is on her ass, how is she letting this information get past her?

The following day, Ellen calls a meeting with Sigma Team, Melanie, Laetitia and myself. She gathers us in one of the conference rooms where I stand in the back, not wanting to sit down at the table with the rest. Juhani stands in the front of the room next to Ellen as she begins to speak. "As you all know, since the threat of John Standish and the security breaches of Bishop, we have implemented extensive security measures to ensure the safety of our internal information." Ellen begins, "Through these audits, we have noticed breaches in our protocol, as well as unauthorized movements within the Order." Everyone in the room shifts but I remain still at the back of the room. "That being said, Violet da Costa, the swipes on your key card show various unsanctioned visits to the basement, do you mind explaining your purpose in the basement?"

Violet stiffens at Ellen's comment, "I have only been in the basement twice to gather extra Brahman and communicators." She says defensively.

"Your swipe history shows a total of 18 times this last week." Ellen says.

"What?" Violet lets out. "That's impossible. I barely go down there." She looks at Juhani with tangled brows. "Boss, you know me. I hate it down there. It gives me the creeps." Ellen motions her head to a security guard that approaches Violet. "No!" She calls out as the guard grabs her hands and cuffs them behind her. "What the fuck, I didn't go down there!" She yells. "Berg, you know there is nothing that I want down there. There has to be an explanation for this!"

"Wait." Juhani calls out to the guard before they take her from the office. Ellen becomes rigid at Juhani's action. Juhani walks over to the end of the office. Towards me. I stiffen as he approaches me. He comes so close to me that I can feel his breath on my face. He looks down at me and with a frown, he grabs for my key card hanging from my belt. I look away from him, knowing that he has figured it out. He pulls out his phone and scans the key card. On his phone appears the photo and information of Violet and not me.

Juhani wordlessly hands the phone and key card to Ellen while Laetitia puts her head down in disappointment. After looking at the key card Ellen says, "I am going to take a not so wild guess that Violet is actually in the possession of your card." Violet shoots me a hate-filled glare, but I keep my eyes on Ellen. She motions the guard to release Violet and to handcuff me instead. I don't fight his approach, and figure that the best way to handle this is gracefully. "Do you mind telling me what you were doing in the basement?" She asks me.

"The Animus." Laetitia says simply. She clears her throat and says, "The Animus is down there."

Ellen looks at me with narrowed eyes. She approaches me, and after looking me up and down, she slaps me hard across the face. "I gave you everything you could possibly want to keep you safe from that infernal device, and you still crawled back to it like a junkie."

"I got shot and removed from field missions indefinitely under your care. Nothing that you promised me has been given to me." I say lowly back to her.

"Fine," She states nastily. "You want your fix? You will be transferred back to the Italian Order under Alan Rikkin where you will resume your work for the Animus Project." She says stepping away from me.

"Ellen that is not wise!" Laetitia calls out.

"Let the girl deteriorate her mind if she wants to." Ellen says. "We owe her nothing."

"Ellen no!" I call out to her. "I will do whatever you need, but do not send me back to Alan!" I plead to her.

"You should have thought about that before using the Animus." She says maliciously, leaving the room.

"Juhani," I call out to him frantically. "You have to stop this. I can't go back to him." He approaches me with sad eyes, telling me there is nothing he can do. I place my head lovingly on his chest, crying on him. "Come with me. I can't face him without you with me." I plead.

Juhani places his hand on my cheek and wipes the tear falling from my lashes. Violet looks at us with shocked eyes, finally seeing our relationship unfold. "I am sorry, Amelia." Juhani says genuinely. "There is nothing I can do."

"Laetitia!" I call out as the guard begins to take me from the conference room. "Laetitia, please, there has to be something you can do!" I plead.

"I am sorry, Amelia." She says simply. "This was your doing." And with that I am removed from the office and sent to my room.

The following day I am placed on a plane and sent to Alan. Rizzo meets me at the airport, ensuring that I get on the plane without any resistance. He tells me that he is happy to see me return and that my sister and Doctor Sung are eagerly waiting my arrival. I don't respond to him and instead place my head against the window of the plane, closing my eyes wishing I wasn't here.

As I enter the threshold of the Italian Order, so many memories come rushing back to me—all of them being negative. My sister, Doctor Sung, and Alan all wait for me in the lobby as I enter with Rizzo.

"Miss James, it warms my heart to see you back here with us." Alan says in a sinister tone.

I look away from him, not wanting to be prompted by his malicious intent. I look over at my sister when I notice that she has cut all of her hair. Her long brown hair no longer swipes the small of her back like mine does and instead is cut down to her ears in a pixie cut. I look at her with shocked eyes as she approaches me. She takes me in a hug and tells me that she missed me. I pull away from her and look at her with pressed brows. "You cut your hair." I let out and she smiles at me.

"Yeah," She says grabbing for the small strands behind her neck. "I wanted a change. Do you like it?" She asks looking up at me with a smile.

"You don't look like me anymore." I let out and she frowns at my response not wanting to hear that.

"Well, Miss James you will continue your work in the Animus tomorrow morning, working with Sung and Rizzo to ease the transition." Alan leans into my ear and whispers, "though we both know you won't need much help transitioning into the Animus, all things considered." He says addressing my unsanctioned use of the Animus under Ellen.

I shoot him a dirty look and he smiles menacingly at me. I dread the next few months that I will have to spend under him. "Come on." My sister calls out to me and we head back to our suite. The door opens and I look around, feeling overweighing emotions come over me. This suite brings back the memories of Daniel and the deepest part of my psychosis.

I close my eyes and take in a staggered breath. "Nothing's changed." I let out looking around knowing that after all my hard work, I have regressed back to where I started.


	10. Shattered Memories

****Hope you all enjoy. Thank you for your reviews and DMs. Keep them coming, I love hearing from you!****

* * *

 **Shattered Memories**

My sister smiles at me and wheels to her bedroom. I watch her carefully, feeling distant from her. I have not seen her since the incident with my leg. She knows that I have abused the Animus to heal my leg, and I feel as though a sense of trust has been lost between us. I follow her into her room and she logs onto her computer. "What information have you gathered on Bishop?" I ask her and she tenses.

She looks back at me. "Nothing," She let's out. "I think Bishop got wind of our snooping and has made a point to mask her digital footprint better."

"There has to be something that you and your initiates have found." I let out. "Nothing about the uniting of Bishop and William has been leaked?" I ask skeptically.

She shrugs, "nothing that I have been able to find." she lets out. She shows me the documents that she has gathered since I surrendered my work to her. I am shocked to see that she has found nothing since the shareholder's meeting. Bishop must have gathered that we were watching her, and she decided to be more careful with her work.

Lilly takes the time to show me some of the information that she has gathered from the Initiates program and I cannot help but think that the information is useless. Nothing is leading to Piece of Eden locations, hideouts, or movements against the Templars and there seems to be no significant value whatsoever. "The initiates are trained to report every three days with what they have gathered while on the Altair II," Lilly states. I look at the last log to see that it has been more than a week and ask her why they have not checked in. "It's nothing to be concerned over," she says, "Sometimes their connections are blocked based on their location, or suspicions are raised and it is not safe to send an update."

"Seems like the initiates haven't provided you with solid intel since the union of Bishop and William." I let out and she gives me a pressed glare.

"I am sorry, Amelia, but she learned how to cover her tracks." She says simply, logging off of her computer.

She seems on edge and in an attempt to relax her, I ask if she wants to play chess. She smiles at me and says she would love to. She brings out the board and sets up the pieces. I watch her as she places the quarter in place for the missing piece, the sight still making me angry for her losing the intricate white glass Bishop piece.

We play for a while and after 4 stalemates, I finally beat her with my Rook. "Good game!" She exclaims with an exaggerated yawn. "Are you ready to go back in the Animus tomorrow?" She asks me curiously.

"Did Ellen tell any of you the reason for my return under Alan?" I ask her simply. She swallows hard and she doesn't have to say it for me to know. "It was healing my leg." I tell her looking away from her, not able to look upon her pitied expression. "I wanted to go back into the field and this was the only way I could see myself getting back there." I say trying to justify my abuse of the Animus.

"To be honest, I was shocked when I read that you took a bullet for Laetitia." My sister says and I think about the moment that I took the bullet for her.

The vision—or memory—that I had of my father and her, drove me to shield her. It was as if my father's love for her overtook my body and I had to save her. The idea churns my stomach. I look at my sister who clearly doesn't know about the relationship between Laetitia and our father. I swallow hard, figuring that I should tell her; that she deserves to know. "I need to show you something." I tell her with a low tone. She looks up at me with confusion at my tone. I push her to the Animus room without another word.

I begin typing the sequence into the Animus while she sits anxiously in her chair. "While I was at Abstergo Entertainment, I entered the Animus to find memories that I have no recollection about. I figure these were memories that I lost when I hit my head after the car accident." I tell her. "The Animus has helped me regain these memories." I say simply, heading towards the device to lie down.

"You shouldn't be entering the Animus to revisit your own memories. The affects that it can have on you are unknown." Lilly says in a stern voice.

"You are going to want to see this memory, Lil." I tell her sadly as I look up and the glass halo slides across my face.

 _Dalton entered the office where Laetitia typed on her computer. He smiled at her and when her eyes caught his, she exited her email and smiled up at him. "How was your mission with Alan?" She asked him._

 _Dalton grumbled, "Alan has been acting strange recently." He admitted to her. "He has been asking more about the girls." He said slowly and was returned with a frown from Laetitia._

 _"_ _The girls are ten years old, Dalton. They are children." She said in a disgusted tone._

 _"_ _The Templar's Gala is in a week." He said simply. "The bids will be placed on the girls. Then they will be given to the man who pays the most when they are fourteen to ensure their purity." Dalton said with no emotion in his voice, unable to allow himself to emotionally involve himself in the decision._

 _"_ _How are you okay with this?" She called out to him in abhorrence._

 _"_ _You think I am okay with this?" Dalton called out angrily. "My only daughters are being whored out by a swine that chooses to pay top dollar to rape underaged girls, all because I chose to make a move against the Order's wishes with the intentions to elevate us against the Assassins!" Dalton yelled._

 _"_ _You can stop it," She began but Dalton stopped her from continuing._

 _"_ _Either the girls are raped, or the Order kills them, Angela, and myself." Dalton told her. "The girls are strong, and will find a way to move past this." Dalton told himself more than he told Laetitia._

 _"_ _No, they won't, Dalton." Laetitia said to him, getting up and walking away from him._

 _"_ _Laetitia!" He called out to her. He approached her, towering over her seeing tears falling down her cheeks. He placed his hand on her cheek. "I am sorry," he told her. "You know I want no harm to befall the girls." He swallowed hard, opening himself up to her, making him more vulnerable than he has ever made himself to someone. "I don't know what else to do." He had said with a lump in his throat._

 _Dalton could see the shock in Laetitia's eyes. She had never seen Dalton cry, let alone feel helpless. He was strong and always had a plan of action, but in this sense, he was at his wits end, at the expense of his daughter's. Laetitia did not know what to do to ease his mind, and she wanted nothing more but to see him smile again._

 _She lifted herself onto the tips of her toes and pressed her lips to Dalton's. He moaned at her action and placed his hands on her hips. His lips quivered against hers, and he pressed his brows together as he kissed her harder than ever. He was scared, and he didn't want her to know that he was scared. For the first time in his life, Dalton was not in control of what was happening around him, and it cut him._

 _Dalton pushed Laetitia against her desk, pressing his body against hers. If there was anything that he was in control of, it was this moment and Laetitia's pleasure._

 _He unzipped his pants and pulled himself out. He lifted her skirt and pushed himself inside her. She yelped at his aggression. He thrusted harder in her, closing his eyes and reveling in the pleasure of her around him._

 _"_ _Daddy?" A small voice called out in the corner of the room. Dalton's eyes flung open and he looked over at the doorway to see his oldest daughter standing shaken in the doorway. "What are you doing?" Her small voice squeaked in fear as she saw her father tower over Laetitia._

 _He pushed away from Laetitia, shoving himself back into his pants and heading towards his daughter._

 _"_ _Amelia, what are you doing here?" He roared at her angrily. She retracted away from her father, but he pulled her arm violently toward him and bent his head down to her level._

 _The small girl shook in fear. "I wanted to play chess with Laetitia." The girl said innocently with wet eyes. Laetitia looked away from the girl, unable to see the sadness in her eyes. "You and Laetitia…" Amelia trailed off looking up at her father with betrayal in her eyes. "I'm telling Mom." She said hatefully._

 _Dalton sighed, knowing that the girl was old enough to understand what he was doing with Laetitia. Dalton's heart beat heavily and an overwhelming rush of emotions came over him. He grabbed his daughters face with his palm covering her mouth. She had let out a squeal in fear, but he pressed his palm on her face harder._

 _"_ _You will not say a word of this!" He hissed at her, looking past the fear and tears in her eyes. "Not a single word of this will get to your mother. Do you understand me?" He asked his daughter but she did not respond to him. "Do you understand me!" He yelled, shaking the girl. She nodded once through betrayed wet eyes._

 _Dalton released his daughter, and without another word, the young child ran out of the room. Dalton looked away from the girl and onto Laetitia. When his eyes met hers, he saw the fear of him fill her eyes. He let out a sigh, knowing that the woman now saw him as a monster, just as his wife saw him._

I open my eyes and look over at Lilly who sits in her chair shocked at what she has just witnessed. After a moment of composing herself, her eyes finally meet mine. Teary eyed she says, "You saw this. And you kept this from me?"

"I don't remember it." I admit to her. "It must have been from the accident, Sung told me that I lost a lot of memories from the accident, and that some would return, and others wouldn't. When I was searching the Animus at Abstergo Entertainment, I found this memory in Dad's memory bank. Watching it from his perspective…" I pause, "Made me realize his feeling of hopelessness."

"How are you justifying his actions against you?" She says holding tightly onto her necklace.

I grab for my own and frown. "You're only watching the memory. You're not feeling it. His controlled life was falling apart; every strategically placed piece was spiraling out of its place." Lilly looks away from me, unable to look me in the eyes as I justify our father's actions. "It gets worse." I tell her and she looks back at me. "I already pulled up the sequence if you want to play it." I say laying back down in the Animus. After a pause from my sister, she finally wheels over to the computer and initiates the sequence.

 _Angela sat at her desk, viciously biting at her fingernails as she composed the encrypted email. A click was heard at the door and she quickly exited out of the email. She looked up to see that it was Laetitia entering her office._

 _"_ _Laetitia," she had let out in a confused tone. "How can I help you?"_

 _The woman smiled at Angela as she entered her office. "Can I sit?" She asked and Angela motioned her to the chair crossways from her desk. Angela looked at the woman with a soft smile. She could see the uncomfortable fear in her tense joints and Angela wondered what would bring the woman into her office under this distress. "I wanted you to hear it from me…" She trailed off unable to speak up. "Amelia…" The woman held back tears and Angela grew more fearful of what she was trying to tell her._

 _"_ _Laetitia, what is wrong with Amelia?" Angela pressed with worry._

 _"_ _I am sorry," Laetitia released now visibly crying. Angela handed her the box of tissues on her desk, the gesture making Laetitia cry even more. "I apologize, I need a moment to compose myself." Laetitia said patting the napkin to her face, wiping the tears away._

 _After a moment, Laetitia's bloodshot eyes reached Angela's and without giving her a moment to turn around, Laetitia let out, "Dalton and I have been having an affair." She had said but Angela's gaze did not waver. Laetitia continued, now able to release her transgressions. "It's been going on for over 8 years, and Amelia walked in on us." She paused for Angela's response, but there was none. "She threated to tell you, and Dalton…" she paused, unable to say it. "And he hurt her," she lets out with a sob, "I can't let him continue to hold this against her. I had to tell you." She looked up at Angela but her expression was frozen. "I am so sorry, Angela." She let out with a sob. "I was young and foolish in the beginning, and it had become so routine that I had stopped realizing that it was wrong. But when he laid his hands on Amelia I… I couldn't continue this."_

 _Angela looked at the woman with a blank expression. There was no emotion in her eyes and she was entirely numb to the confession. Laetitia let out a sigh, looking down at her lap at the crumpled-up tissue. She lifted herself up to her feet, knowing that there was nothing more she could say to the woman whose family she destroyed._

 _"_ _Has he ever told you his intentions with the girls?" Angela called out. "Has he ever voiced what he wants to do to them?"_

 _Laetitia swallowed hard, "He doesn't want to." She defended him. "His hands are tied."_

 _Angela let out a rye laugh. "His hands are not tied. I would rather let my family die then let those men touch my babies." She said hatefully. "Did he tell you about that?" Angela said aggressively. "That he is selling my daughters' virginity, letting some filthy perverse man lay his hands on my underage daughters for the sake of his title. I would rather see them dead." Angela said. Laetitia could not say anything to the woman as she didn't know what to say to her._

 _"_ _I'm pregnant," Angela let out looking off into nothingness as her eyes refused to focus on anything in the room. "I'm pregnant and I'm going to terminate the pregnancy." Angela turned her head slowly to Laetitia to see her wide fearful eyes. "Dalton is going to sell my daughter's souls to the Devil." Angela said simply looking at the woman who judged her. "I will not give him another child to destroy." Angela said looking away from Laetitia._

 _Angela opened back the email that she was composing. She erased everything that she wrote and simply put to meet in five minutes and a location. She lifted herself from her computer and grabbed her coat. "Excuse me." She said simply to Laetitia, leaving the woman alone in her office._

 _Angela headed out of the office and to her intended rendezvous. She ensured that she was not followed. She entered the coffee shop and was shocked to see that he was already there in the corner of the shop. She walked over to him and he smiled at her with a warm and genuine smile; something that Angela hadn't seen in so long._

 _"_ _Hello William," She said with a smile, bringing the Assassin into a hug._

 _"_ _Hello Angela," He said holding her tightly. "As much as it is a pleasure to see you, I have to ask what compelled you to call me here on such short notice?_

 _Before Angela could speak up, a young boy came running up to William. "Dad can I get a brownie?" The boy asked his father._

 _"_ _Sure, Desmond. Get what you want" William said handing him money._

 _"_ _Yours?" Angela asked with a smile._

 _"_ _Yeah, he just turned 12 this year."_

 _"_ _My girls are 10." She said with a proud smile._

 _William's smile faded as he said, "Angela, why did you call me here, instead of the encrypted chat we provided you with?"_

 _Angela swallowed deeply and with wide eyes said, "I have confirmed Dalton's intention with the girls. He will start the bid for them at the Templar's Gala. He has managed to hold off their thirst for the young girls, but he will sell them off to be given away at 14. Can you imagine? They are still little girls."_

 _"_ _You haven't been able to convince him otherwise?" William asked._

 _"_ _No. It is their lives over his. His will always win."_

 _"_ _What do you propose?"_

 _"_ _Before the Gala, we are going to see the Nutcracker. We see it every year. The girls adore the dancers." She said with a smile at the memory of the girls crying out, wishing to become ballerinas themselves. "Dalton will be distracted with the girls. He will not expect an attack."_

 _"_ _In front of the girls, Angela?" William called out. "They shouldn't witness this." He said sternly._

 _"_ _This is the only way, William." She said lowly. "This will be the opportune moment for the Assassins to get the upper hand on the Templars, and ensure the safety of my girls." She saw the hesitation in the man and needed to sweeten the deal. "If you take his life, I can provide you with the location of the Holy Grail." She told him and he looked up at her with shocked eyes, unwilling to believe that she had the artifact's location._

 _"_ _And what happens if we cannot single him out?" William asked knowing that getting Dalton away from the family would be the most difficult._

 _"_ _Dalton needs to die that night, William. If you cannot get a clear shot at him, then I want you to take us all. Do whatever it takes."_

It takes me a while to look at Lilly after the sequence plays. I am torn in my own shock of the moment, and I am unable to share in the shock with my sister. Eventually, I look over at Lilly and although she looks stunned, she is angrier.

"It's not true." She lets out, unable to allow the vision of our mother be tainted with this memory. "She would never…" Lilly chokes on her words and is unable to say anymore.

I lift myself from the Animus and frown at the confusion that I have caused her. "I am sorry, Lilly. I know this isn't what you wanted to see." She plays over the memory of the night our parents died over and over in her head, her face frowning as all the memories begin to gather and make sense. "Let's go for a drive." I tell her and she simply nods.

I take her to the lookout where Juhani and I had our first date. There is a special feeling this place gives me; a sense of stillness that I think Lilly needs right now. I set up a comfortable spot in the bed of the truck filled with blankets and pillows to lie in as we look up at the stars on a moonless night. I help Lilly into the back of the truck and she situates herself comfortably in the bed of the truck.

Lilly lets out a sigh, and after a moment of thinking, she lets out, "I am not sure which is worse; that our father was willing to sell our virginity in exchange for our lives, or that our mother plotted to have us killed to avoid being sold."

I lie down and exhale, thinking about our parents, knowing that wondering which one was worse would take up the night. I swallow hard, looking up at the stars shining down at us. "This was where Juhani and I had our first date." I tell her. I see her turn her head in my peripheral, but I continue to stare up at the stars. "Well I guess it wasn't a date." I let out a nervous laugh. "I was watching Daniel train the recruits." I say remembering the hot summer day. "I was wearing a short orange dress that singed at the waist. I remember seeing all the recruits staring at me, even Daniel's eyes strolled my way. I remember the feeling in my stomach when Juhani looked over at me." I smile at the memory. "When they were doing their individual drills, Juhani came over my way and introduced himself. I asked him if he wanted to ditch training and hang out with me. He told me that he couldn't, and I justified it by telling him that I needed a body guard to protect me." I smile and my sister lets out a scoff at my half assed attempt to get Juhani to be with me.

I look over at my sister and she smiles at the memories. "He thought I was funny, and he decided to ditch Daniel's drills. I had him meet me in the parking garage where we stole a truck. He took me to this look out point and we watched the sunset up here." I say smiling. "Once the sun was down, we watched the stars for a while, much like this night." I say looking away from my sister and up at the stars. "I guess one thing led to another. I am not sure how. I felt so comfortable with him, that when he was on top of me, I wasn't scared." I say and my sister looks up at the stars. "He was my first, and it didn't hurt as much as I thought it would. I guess he was good about making sure I felt comfortable." I smile at the memory. "We snuck back into the compound without anyone's notice. I remember splitting from him and watching Daniel give him a piece of his mind for leaving drills, but he never told Daniel where he went, or that he was with me." I let out a sigh. "I cannot believe it has been four years since then." I say sadly. "It was so much simpler then." I let out and my sister looks over at me with a sad frown. "He is mad at me." I tell her, looking down at her. "When he found out that I was using the Animus to heal my leg, he looked so… hurt." I say tearing up. "Like he was betrayed by me."

"He loves you; you know." My sister lets out in a sad tone.

I swallow hard. "He has never said the words. I never have, because I am too afraid to say them first."

"He told me," She says and I look over at her with pressed brows. "He said that he felt it when he first saw you. But that he knew he loved you when his face was burned. He said seeing the look in your eyes showed him just how much you cared for him." I feel tears fall down my face and I look away from her, unable to see her eyes. "I know that he is disappointed in your abuse of the Animus, but know that it is because he loves you and cares for you, that he is disappointed." She says and I look back at her. "You should tell him that you love him. You have the opportunity to do so. Some of us do not." She says with a frown looking up at the stars.

"Tell me about her." I let out. "What was she like? Your girlfriend?"

Lilly sighs and looks at me. "She is fearless." She lets out a smile. "She actively sought out adventures and anything that would get her heart pumping. She went skydiving, she was an avid snowboarder, she liked rock climbing, and in the end, she would give that all up just to sit at the fire next to me and get demolished in chess." She lets out a laugh and I do the same. "She was really bad at chess." Lilly giggles. "It didn't matter to her that I couldn't walk. She never treated me any differently." She lets out a sigh. "When we were together for the first time, I was scared. I had never been with someone before, let alone a girl, but…" Lilly pauses, remembering the night. "But it felt so right with her. Like I was meant to be there with her in that moment."

"What happened to her?" I ask with hesitation.

Lilly looks over at me, with a hint of sadness in her eyes. "I still talk to her, and we video chat from now and then. Her job…" she hesitates. "It makes it difficult for us to be together." I can tell that my sister does not want to talk more about it and I drop the subject.

I look up at the stars and see a shooting star cross the sky. "Maybe one day, we can all meet each other." I say, almost wishing on the star for it to come true.

"Maybe." She says in a sad tone, knowing that it will never happen.

After a few hours of looking up at the stars in silence, we decide to return to the compound. I help my sister into the car and we drive back in silence. We return to the suite and I help her into her bed. I tell her goodnight and head to my own bed where I fall asleep before my head hits the pillow.

 _Andre watched from afar as Bernard licked the boot of the King. Andre grew tired of the Knight's attempt to gain the favor of King Louis. He wondered if the King would show Bernard the Grail as he once showed him. Would Bernard become the King's new dog?_

 _Andre listened to the two men as they plotted their attack for the Seige of Ascalon. Andre tried to hold his disdain for the folly plot to himself, but as the two continued to plot their attack against the Muslims, Andre had to speak up against their plans._

 _"_ _My Lord," He spoke up, "Forgive me, but an initial attack with the Templars against the gates of Ascalon seems to be a foolish move." The King looked upon the Knight with hostile eyes while Bernard returned with amused ones. Andre continued despite this. "Sending the Templars into battle without the aid of your Christian forces will cause the unnecessary death of thousands of Templar Knights. We need to send the Christian forces first, have them take out the guards, and then the Templars will be able to take the city and secure surrender."_

 _"_ _You wish me to send my countrymen to the slaughter while the Knights Templar stand and watch?" He asked with a hostile tone._

 _Andre watched as the Queen tensed at her husband's harsh demeanor. "No, that is not what I suggest, My Lord." Andre said in a steady tone. "The Knights Templar are an elite force, unshaken at the gates of death's door. The Muslim armies will undoubtably surrender their forces when they see the Templars enter the gates after battle."_

 _Bernard scoffed, "The Knights Templar fear nothing. We shall enter the gates and cast the infidels into the fires of hell, for it is God's will."_

 _Andre scoffed in return, "If the Templars enter those gates first, they will be slaughtered. We are fearless, but the Muslim forces are just as so. Seeing the Templars defeated will instill terror in the Christian forces, and they will not be capable of sending the Muslims into a surrender."_

 _The King thought for a moment, seeing Andre's point, when his brother spoke up. "My Lord," he stated in a smooth voice, "The Knight's Templar are the most unshakable force. We will not fall to the Devil's men. We are the will of God. And God has asked you to take Ascalon back."_

 _Andre growled lowly, knowing the King would not hear sense. Andre turned from the men and exited the throne room. He strode quickly through the halls, past the guards and out to the stables._

 _"_ _Andre!" A soft voice called out from the castle. Andre turned around to see the queen had followed him to the stables. Andre rolled his jaw and grabbed for his horse, mounting the white beast. "My husband is a fool to take the word of Bernard. Their plan is folly and will lead to the death of many Templars."_

 _"_ _Shame our nation is not led by those more military minded such as yourself." Andre said gripping onto the reigns of his horse, preparing to leave._

 _"_ _I can speak with him. Maybe a more understanding voice can sway the King to see your plan."_

 _"_ _With all due respect, my Queen, the King has not taken in your bed for some time. Forgive me for not entrusting your stance with the King."_

 _The Queen grew angry at this comment and Andre kicked his horse to leave the stables._

 _"_ _Andre!" The Queen called out to him. "I will be on the battlefield."_

 _"_ _Then you will watch the Templars fall firsthand." He called out, kicking the horse to a gallop._

"I don't get it," my sister says as I hold my head getting out of the Animus. "Richard I of England is Andre's bastard son with the Queen, but nowhere have you seen the two romantic in any way?"

"No," I let out in an exhausted tone. I push myself away from the Animus, unable to go back to the memories of Andre, feeling drained more than ever.

"You don't look so good." She lets out, looking at me with pressed concerned brows.

"Yeah well I don't feel it either." I let out with a groan.

"Alan came in during your session." She says slowly. "He wants to speak with you."

"Great," I let out with an exhausted sigh. I head over to Alan's office where he is hunched over his desk.

"Miss James, please take a seat." He says looking up at me through the brim of his reading glasses. He finishes up his typing, then takes off his glasses and smiles up at me. "How are you child? Your leg seems to be doing better. Rizzo says you just might be able to enter the field again. What a miraculous recovery you have made." He says in a patronizing tone.

"Is there a point to why you have brought me here?" I challenge him and he purses his lips in displeasure at my tone.

"Next week is the Templar's Gala. It is the first year we are having the Gala since the Assassins attacked the Gala six years ago." He begins, "I will have you join the crowd and meet the men of the Order. It will be good for them to see the daughter of Dalton grown and working against the Assassins." I swallow hard, knowing that the Gala was where my father intended to sell my virginity to the men Alan wants me to mingle with.

"What is the purpose to have me at the Gala?" I ask him.

"The Templar's Gala is where all high-level Templars meet for a memorable night. As a Grand Master in the Inner Sanctum, your presence is expected."

"What about Lilly?" I ask him.

"Lilly has chosen not to attend, and to be frank with you, the image of her in the chair would bring an uncomfortable remembrance of your father's passing." He says bluntly and I give him a pressed glare.

"Alan, I am aware of the Inner Sanctum's intentions with Lilly and myself at the Templar's Gala." I say and he shifts uneasily. "I am also aware that you were the one to deliver these intentions to my father."

"Amelia," He lets out with an anxious scoff, "These intentions were voiced to control your father. You are now a part of the Inner Sanctum. This is no longer the intent of your presence at the Gala." I continue to watch him untrusting and he continues. "Laetitia and Ellen will be in attendance, as well as Juhani and the remainder of Sigma Team. Your presence is expected."

I let out a sigh and look over at him. "Fine, but I want you to tell Ellen that I have been cleared for field missions. Both physically and psychologically."

He lets out a scoff as though he is almost proud of me. "You know very well that Doctor Sung has made no such assessment."

"Ellen does not need to know about that." I tell him. "You clear me for the field, and I will dress up for your little dance."

"You honestly think clearing you for the field will get you any closer to retrieving William Miles?" He asks me condescendingly.

"I do." I tell him standing. "And when I have my hands on him, I will kill him, without the blessing of this fucking Order."

"Careful child," he calls out to me as I walk out of his office. "Starting to sound like your disobedient father." He says with a sinister smile. I swallow hard as a satisfied smile takes over his lips. He looks me up and down, knowing that I am becoming more and more like my father. I turn away from him, unable to look at him anymore.

He does not call out to me and I leave his office without another word. That night I meet with Doctor Sung. I keep to myself and I can tell that she is disappointed in my lack of interest in our session. I am distant, and it isn't long until she dismisses me for the night. I spar with Rizzo for a while, until I decide to retire for the night. I take a shower and head to bed. I lie down and look up at the ceiling, trying to shrug off the feeling of being watched.

The following morning after my session with Rizzo, I head to the Animus where my sister waits for me. She says that she is ready for me and I take a deep breath as I enter the Animus.

 _Andre's hands shook as he looked onto the gates of Ascalon. He looked upon the gates as his fellow Knights shared the same look of dread in their eyes. Andre looked at the young men, some of them but children. Andre hated his brother for bringing these boys to their death. They all knew their impended doom, and though they did not fear death, for in death, they would meet their God; it was still not their time to go. Not like this._

 _Andre knew his life would end this day as well as the other men in his Order. Today would be marked as the end of the Templar's reign, and Bernard de Tremelay would be the Grand Master that brought them to their knees._

 _Bernard commanded the men to be ready, stirring them for battle. Andre looked back to see the Christian forces that would follow the Templars into battle. The men were old, frail cattle men who haven't held a sword in years. These would not be the men that forced the Muslim's to their knees. The men were afraid, their eyes wandering to their hands, shaking before them._

 _Andre swallowed hard and moved his horse towards his brother. "Bernard," He said to him quietly. "These men are not ready to fight. They will flee at the sight of the Templar's fall."_

 _"_ _The decision has been made, Andre." Bernard spoke between clenched teeth. "We are the forces of God. It is our hands that drive God's will. He will not see us fall tonight. The Muslims will fall under the mighty forces of the Knights Templar. If you cannot see this, then you are undeserving to call yourself a Knight of the Brotherhood."_

 _Andre sighed, unamused by his brother's show. "So be it Bernard. We shall die tonight. And you shall be known as the Grand Master whose military folly brought an end to the Templar reign." Andre spat pulling the reigns of his horse to join the rest of his brothers in battle._

 _Andre waited for the call, atop his horse waiting for the battle that will take his life. Andre looked upon his brother Bertrand de Blanchefort. The man had been a favorite of Andre's and had voted in favor for him as Grand Master since de Paynes' death. Bertrand looked at his brother with a knowing nod. The two would die together as brothers and faithful men of the Knights Templar._

 _The horn roared in the battlefield and the men charged for the gates. Andre galloped heavily, being one of the first to make contact with the infidel armies. Andre began slashing at the men. The sound of swords clashing rang in his ears._

 _Andre looked up to see a man point a spear at Bertrand while he slashed at another man. Andre took the dagger from his waist and threw it at the man, impaling him and ending his life before he could end the life of his brother. Bertrand looked upon his brother and gave him a grateful nod as he continued._

 _Men piled at the Templars and the Egyptian forces were greater than the Templar's, despite their attempts. Andre knew they were falling, and he slashed at the men more wildly. He looked over at the King and the French Christians that were to help the Templars with the siege. Andre looked upon them in shock as the cowards stood back in fear, watching the Templars fall to the Muslim forces._

 _Andre looked for his Grand Master, but could not find Bernard within the battles. Andre pushed through the forces and continued to slash at the men. He looked forward to see an all too familiar face. Andre stood frozen at the sight of him. The Assassin Mentor whom aided in Andre's destruction of his own men to gain control over Robert de Craon. The Assassin approached Andre with a sly smile under his black hood._

 _"_ _We meet again, Templar." He called out over the sound of battle before him. Andre lifted his sword ready to fight the man. "Such hostility, have you forgotten how we aided you, Brother?" The Mentor said with a sinister smile._

 _"_ _It is time to meet the Lord, Heretic."_

 _"_ _Foolish Templar." The man had laughed. "It is not I who meets the maker today. But you, and your trivial Order." He said, and before Andre could step away, a spear pierced through his stomach._

 _Andre looked down at the bloody spear appearing before him. Andre's face contorted in pain as he touched the spear, realizing it had impaled him. Andre coughed up blood as the pain began spreading throughout his body._

 _"_ _It shall be written," The Mentor began, "That on this day, the famed Knights Templar fell to the Egyptian Forces, placed on pikes for all to see." He said with a smile as one of the men tilted the spear and lifted Andre from his knees._

 _Andre looked away from the men, looking to the sky, waiting for God to welcome him into heaven._

"Mila!" I hear my name being called by my sister.

"She is gaining consciousness, take a step back." The voice of Rizzo echoes in my head.

I let out a moan as my senses begin coming back to me. "I died." I let out as I look up at Rizzo.

"No," Doctor Sung says looking at the computer with Lilly. "Andre is still alive. He is for another 3 years."

"But how?" I ask holding my head.

"Amelia, you should lie down." Rizzo says. "You were seizing. Your sister called us to help you."

I look over at my sister who looks utterly terrified. "He was stabbed. How is he alive?" I ask her and she looks angry at me as I am more concerned with his life than my own.

"Amelia, why don't we head to my office and talk more about this?" Doctor Sung suggests and I do not argue with her. Rizzo helps me get out of the Animus carefully and escorts me to Doctor Sung's office. I sit down in my chair and let out a labored breath. I lift my head and stare at her ceiling, listening to her and Rizzo whisper to one another worried about me.

After a moment, Sung closes the door behind her and sits down at her desk. "You're scared." I let out still looking at the ceiling of the office. "I heard you say 'it's just like Daniel'." I tell her and I hear her shift in her seat. "Does that mean I am getting worse?" I finally turn and look at her to see the pressed look in her brows.

She swallows hard and says, "Your deterioration is at a much slower rate than Daniel's was."

I let out a humorless laugh. "You say that like it's supposed to make me feel better, but you're still telling me that I am deteriorating." I tell her and before she can return with anything, I say, "How did Andre not die? Getting stabbed in the gut, then lifted in the air isn't a typical flesh wound you walk away from."

She shrugs, "from the memory bank within the Animus, Andre has 3 more years of memories. I am sure the Animus will be able to tell you."

"But you don't think I should go back in?" I tell her.

She takes in a breath, wondering how to respond, when she finally says, "I cannot tell you to go in or not to. It is my job to ensure that your mind is stable enough for the transition in memories. I am not here to tell you not to enter."

"I want to go back in." I tell her with pressed eyes. "I need to go back in."

A week goes by and the Templar's Gala is only two days away. I grow anxious the closer the event comes. I feel myself getting uncomfortable at the idea that I will be at the Gala where my father promised my virginity. I force the idea down and walk around the compound. I pass the lobby when I see Rizzo carrying various bags on his shoulders. I look down to see Ellen and Laetitia entering the lobby. Laetitia looks up at me and I see a frown forming on her lips. My eyes switch over to Ellen who greets me with a cold glare. I head down to the Lobby and the women receive me with ingenuine greetings.

Ellen grabs my chin and looks onto my face. She frowns and says, "Your eyes are glazed over. Too much time in the Animus?" She asks me and I watch as Laetitia frowns.

"I didn't get much sleep last night." I tell her with a pressed tone.

"Voices or visions?" She asks me and I scowl at her. She scoffs, "Come Laetitia, let's get our things ready." She waves at Rizzo and they enter the elevator with Laetitia giving me one last apologetic glance.

I turn away from them when I bump into Juhani. I look up at him and he looks down at me, startled to see me. "Amelia," He says with a low grunt, and I cannot help but smile at the sound of his voice again. "You seem well." He says looking me up and down.

Before I can say anything to him, Violet comes up from behind him. "Hey Boss, you in for a sparring session before bed?" She stops when she sees me, hate spilling from her gaze, and I can tell that she is not over the key card incident.

"Hello Violet, Juhani." I say formally. "It's good to see you two here."

"Can't say the same." Violet snarks, pushing past me.

Juhani's jaw tenses, and I can tell that he doesn't appreciate Violet's attitude against me, but I cannot fault her for it. He smiles down at me and heads past me. "Juhani," I call out to him and he turns towards me. I contemplate asking him to stay with me tonight, but I can see in his eyes that he is hurt by me, seeing me walking, knowing that the Animus is responsible. "I am happy you're here." I tell him, unable to ask him to stay with the look on his eyes. He simply smiles at me and turns away towards his suite. I let out a sigh and figure that there is nothing more I can say to him.

Later that day I spar with Rizzo, punching viciously at the gloves he holds up to my face. "Good!" He calls out with enthusiasm. "Go harder!" He encourages. "You're doing great, go fast, keep that precision." I look over his shoulder to see Juhani enter the area, dressed to spar. Rizzo looks over his shoulder, following my gaze. "Ah, Berg! Good to see you back here." He heads over to Juhani and shakes his hand. "Amelia has really progressed with her time here." He says gleefully. "You should spar with her." He suggests, "I have some reports to hand over to Alan, and her session isn't complete. Might as well make the most of the time, don't you say?"

Juhani hesitates, but Rizzo pats him on the back and hands him the gloves before he can say otherwise. Rizzo leaves the room and only Juhani and I remain. He looks down at the gloves, jaw clenching tightly.

"He's just been having me do MMA style fighting." I let out, unable to hear the deafening silence any longer. Juhani continues to look down at the gloves, unable to look up at me. "I guess I can start offense, and then we can switch."

"Amelia," He lets out looking up at me with sad eyes. "I don't think we should…" He stops, looking down at the gloves, the muscles of his jaw pulsating as he thinks of what to say. I look at him with wide fearful eyes as he fiddles with the gloves. "I can't watch you continue to do this to yourself."

"But," I let out. "I am stronger than ever." I tell him. "I have been training more, eating more, sleeping more. I feel better than I ever have…" I trail off seeing the pain in his eyes.

"I am sorry, Amelia." He says handing me the gloves. "I can't." My eyes begin to water as I look up at him. He presses his lips down to a frown. He turns away from me, and without another word, he leaves me in the arena alone.

I head out of the arena, not able to sit in the large gymnasium alone after that. I head to Doctor Sung's office, finally feeling myself want to open up with some release. I open the door to her office to see that she is nowhere in her office. I frown and let out a whine. I bite my lip, trying to gather my emotions while I look around. My eyes begin watering, and I feel myself slipping more and more into my emotions. I turn around and head out of the office when the doorknob turns. I turn away from the door, frantically wiping my tears to compose myself.

"Amelia?" Laetitia's voice calls out.

 _Fuck_. I try to compose myself as much as I can. I take in a labored breath and turn towards her. I place my head down, trying to hide my face from her but it is a failed attempt as she sees my puffed eyes.

"Amelia, are you alright." She asks me with a concerned voice.

"It's fine." I tell her with a weak voice. "I was just looking for Doctor Sung, but I think she is out." I say in a broken tone that just makes me want to break down even more.

My chin quivers and I try to hide it from her but she sees. Her brows come together in sadness and she approaches me. "Mila, what is wrong?"

"Juhani…" I let out and nothing more comes out as I involuntarily begin crying. I cover my face, trying to hide my tears from her when she approaches me. She takes me into a hug and places my face in her shoulder as I begin crying into her shirt. She rocks my head back and forth, rubbing my head as I let all my feelings spill out. Laetitia doesn't say anything and continues to rub my head and rocks me back and forth. She holds me like this for a long time letting me release all feelings built up.

After crying on Laetitia for some time, she suggests that I sit down on the chair in Sung's office. She grabs me a water bottle while I sit down, sniffing and wiping the remaining tears. She sits down at the chair across from me, and looks over at me with soft eyes. I swallow the lump in my throat and look away from her. "I was doing better." I tell her. "The sessions aren't as draining as they used to be." I glance over at her and she frowns. I look away from her and continue, "I thought that if I could do something great, like find the Holy Grail, then maybe everything would be better. Alan would approve of me, William would be captured, justice would be served, and I could finally live my life normally." My voice cracks as I continue. "I could move forward with my life, no longer thinking about vengeance. I would tell Alan about Juhani, and though he would be mad at first, he would have the Grail to keep him occupied, and with time, he would accept it." I sniffle and my voice continues to crack, "Then Alan would give Juhani his daughter, and he would introduce her to me and we could live…" I trail off, realizing the delusion that I have created in my head.

Laetitia looks at me with sad eyes and I can no longer look at her with such a sad expression on her eyes. I let out a sigh and look down at my shaking hands. "Amelia," She finally says to me, "You have to ask yourself what is more important to you; your relationship with Juhani, or your vengeance against William." I look up at her with pressed brows. "You will have to make that decision, because you can't have both." She says getting up and heading out the door.

"Which would you choose?" I call out to her, looking up at her.

She swallows hard, looking down at me with a sad gaze. "What I would give to have your father back…" She lets out with a broken voice. She takes a deep breath and looks back over at me. "Killing William won't bring him back." She says harshly. "But sparing him might bring Juhani back." She says and with that, she leaves.


	11. The Gala

**Hello all, hope you are enjoying the story so far. I really appreciate the comments, Likes, and Favorites on this story! Keep them coming!**

 **Content Warning for this Chapter: There is some** **depiction of sexual violence, so please read with this in mind.**

 **Please comment, like, or favorite!**

* * *

 **The Gala**

The two days pass without any interaction with Juhani. He makes a point to stay clear of me, and I make a point to allow him his distance. Tonight is the Gala and my hands shake as I get ready. I bite down on my lip as I do my makeup, trying to relax myself. I put on heavy eye makeup, making sure I look nothing like myself. I look down at the dress that Alan left me on my bed. It is a tight spaghetti strap green velvet dress with a slit up the right leg and a plunging neckline. The dress is suggestive to say the least, and my heart beats heavily knowing what his intentions are with me tonight. I put on the dress and I pair it with a thin gold belt that singes at my waist.

I take a step back and look at myself in the mirror. My hair is large and curled with big waves that frame my face. My eye shadow is heavy, and I wear deep red lipstick. I do not recognize myself in the mirror and I take in a deep breath knowing that I will not be myself tonight.

I swallow hard and take my golden clutch bag. I head out of the door and down to the lobby where people gather waiting for the cars to shuttle them to the Gala. I look around and see my sister saying goodbye to some people. She looks over at me and excuses herself from her conversation to join me. "You look gorgeous, Mila." She says looking up at me with stunned eyes.

I smile down at her and she must see the apprehension in my eyes. She knows as well as I do our father's plan with us at the Gala. Seeing me the way I am dressed tonight brings an overweighing realization that Alan will try to execute the plan. I send her a reassuring smile that I will not allow anyone to touch me tonight, but the gesture falls short.

She calls over Juhani, who approaches the lobby. I swallow hard as he approaches us. He is in a fitted black suit with a black bowtie to match. He looks absolutely handsome, and I find the sight of him more painful than ever, knowing that he desires distance from me. Once he encroaches our circle, I put my head down, not able to look at him. He clears his throat as my sister tells him that he looks handsome. I can feel his eyes on me, but I cannot bring my eyes to his.

They speak for a moment and I try not to feel like the uninvited guest in the situation. I look around the lobby, hoping to find someone to occupy my time while they speak with one another. I look back at my sister when I see Juhani bend down to her level. She whispers in his ear and I strain my ears to listen to what she tells him. I do not catch it all, but I gather, "make sure she is safe". I swallow hard at the phrase wondering if she wants him to guard me against the other Templars, or to ensure that I do not pose a risk against anyone. Either way, the comment makes Juhani stiffen and his hard blue eyes finally fall on mine. I swallow hard and my eyes fall down to the floor. I turn away from them and head towards the car, not wanting to be trapped with Juhani on the way to the Gala.

After a short drive to the Gala, I exit the car and head into the conference center. Once I enter the threshold of the center, I am greeted by waiters passing around glasses of champagne. I grab a glass quickly and begin drinking, knowing that I will not be able to calm my nerves until I drink more.

I walk amongst the increasing Templars that arrive at the convention center. So many faces of men and women that I have never seen before. I look around for a familiar face, and I see none. I watch as the lingering eyes follow me as I walk amongst the crowds. They all know who I am. They all know who my father is. My reputation precedes me and by the hateful glares I receive; it is clear that I am not a fan of anyone here. I grab another glass knowing that this will be a long night.

A few moments pass by, and no one has approached me, wanting to mingle with me. I have had a few drinks, and feel the edge of everyone watching me slowly fade. I look around when my eyes catch Laetitia. She looks at me with a sad gaze. The sight of me here distresses her, knowing that in her final moments with my father, she begged him not to sell me at the very event we are gathered at today. The idea brings a lump to my throat and I stagger away from her. I turn around sharply, not wanting to be in her direction, when I run into a hard body.

"I am so—" I stop when I look up to see that the body I bump into is Juhani. I swallow hard and look back down at the ground. "Excuse me," I say in a weak tone as I try to walk past him.

He steps to the side, blocking me from walking away from him. "Amelia," he lets out with a rough tone. He clears his throat and I look up at him. His eyes are red and I can tell that he hasn't gotten much sleep. He looks tired and beaten down. He clenches his jaw tightly looking into my eyes and I find his gaze hard to match. "You look stunning tonight." He tells me quietly.

"Thank you," I say looking at the ground. I make a move to get away from him, but he clears his throat and I look up at him, waiting for him to say something to me.

"You look well." He says again, not sure what to say to me. "I spoke with Rizzo and he said you were improving in the field. It shows." He says, pressing his lips in a displeased line at the failed attempt of a compliment.

"Thank you," I say again. Not sure how to speak to him. "I have been careful with my time in the Animus." I tell him. "I am monitoring my time more. Not feeling the need to enter the Animus as often." I say to him and his eyes flash to mine. I gulp heavily at the sight of him.

"I am glad." He says simply, looking around while people walk past us. He grabs a drink from a tray. "Have a good time tonight." He says raising his glass to me. He walks away from me before I can return with anything. I frown as he walks away, trying to keep my tears behind my lashes as he walks away from me.

I catch a glimpse of Ellen looking over my way with intense eyes. She sees the entire exchange, and knowing that she is aware of mine and Juhani's previous relationship, I assume she is intrigued in our falling out. I look away from her, not able to face her satisfied condescending glare my way.

I continue to walk amongst the Templars. No one is willing to speak with me, undoubtably because of who my father was. I watch as people stare and snicker amongst themselves as I walk by. I roll my eyes at their glances, trying to brush their stares off my shoulder, as I continue to down more glasses of champagne, until I no longer care what they have to say.

The night is wrapping up and as more drinks flow through me, I realize that time flies. People begin to leave as they retire for the night; beginning with the older crowd—Ellen being one of the first to leave. Laetitia approaches me as more people leave, and the crowds begin to dwindle.

"Well this evening has been an exceptional bore." I tell her as she approaches me.

She has a pressed glare on her face, as though she is frantic, but covering her expression well. "Amelia," she begins, "Alan is about to invite you to the after party." She says between teeth hidden behind a pressed smile for appearance sake as she waves a group of Templars goodbye. "Do not join them." She says now looking at me with stern eyes. " _Do not_ go. Do you understand?" She says searching my eyes for a signal that I recognize her words.

Before I can respond to her, Alan approaches us with a wide villainous smile. "Laetitia, good to see you tonight. I haven't spoken to you all night."

"I was just commenting on Amelia's beautiful dress." She says with a pressed smile.

"Ah yes, I picked it out myself for tonight." He says beaming as Laetitia looks me over once more with a pressed look, realizing how revealing the dress is. "Well it was good to have you here and hear the wonderful and invaluable assets Abstergo Entertainment is provided the Order. Now if you do not mind," he says politely pushing past her as he approaches me. "Amelia and I have some details to discuss in her work within the Animus Project." He says taking my arm and turning me away from Laetitia.

I look back at her and she looks at me with frantic eyes, wanting to call out to me, but unable to.

"Child, you look striking tonight." Alan says to me, the smell of whisky and smoke heavy on his breath. I do not say anything to him and he leads me into a small conference room. "It was so good for you to be here tonight. It was good for those in the Order to see the daughter of the great Dalton James continuing his work within the Order." He says slightly swaying as he stands.

"They couldn't keep their eyes off of me." I say in a bitter tone.

"Can you blame them?" He lets out with a chuckle, clutching onto the conference table to stabilize himself. "You caught the eyes of many important people tonight." He says licking his lips. He lets out a labored sigh. "There is an exclusive after party hosted after the Gala." He begins, "It is an honor to be extended the offer as not many are given the chance to attend." I stiffen at the comment, hearing Laetitia's voice in my head warning me. "Your father attended the parties with me." He releases his devilish smile as he reminisces on the memories. "He accompanied me to these parties, and with his passing, I find it only fitting that his daughter accompanies me tonight." He says looking at me with his grey eyes. "These parties are much more intimate than the Gala. You will have opportunity to better acquaint yourself with high ranking Templars of the Order. You might even come across someone who might know something useful about William." He says with a cartoonish smile. "What do you say?"

I watch him carefully, feeling his eyes pressing into my skin. I look down at the floor thinking of what to say. I fear him, but the mention of William sweetens the deal. "Alright," is all I can say and he lets out a delighted smile.

We get into the car together, my leg bouncing uncontrollably as Alan sits uncomfortably close to me in the back seat. He leans back, placing his arm around my shoulders. He pulls me closer to him with a moan and my heart races at his advancement. He looks over at me, his eyes glazed over from whatever drug he is on. I politely shuffle my way away from him and look out the window, wondering what Lilly is doing in this moment, hoping that she is doing better than me.

 _Dalton watched as Amelia chewed on her nails with a disapproving glare. She bounced her leg nervously glaring down at the chess board. Dalton cleared his throat, her eyes landing on his. He gave her an expecting look, transferring his gaze from her eyes to her nails. She frowned and placed her hands on her lap, knowing that her father hated when she chewed on her nails. It was a disgusting habit that young ladies should never develop._

 _She looked up at her father, and he gave her a reassuring smile, encouraging her to continue their game. Amelia moved her Rook, encroaching on Dalton's King. Dalton smiled to himself, his lips curving up the side of his face. Her fingers unlaced from the Rook and Dalton spared no time to take the Rook with his Bishop. The young girl's face scrunched in displeasure, much like Dalton's did when he was disappointed._

 _He frowned to himself, seeing the similarities in the two of them. Her strategy was aggressive, and she needed to see beyond the desire to attack. Dalton realized the same could go for him._

 _He watched his daughter consider her next move. Contemplating the fallout of each move. He thought about her inside the Order, and how well she would do as a Knight's Templar. Dalton played these games with her more often than Lilly. He knew that she needed these lessons in obedience more than Lilly. He was not worried about Lilly's devotion to the Order, or her willingness to take commands. She was smart like her mother in that sense, looking more like her even. But it was Amelia that was so much like Dalton. Her eyes were his, her nose, her smile. Even though the girls were identical, there were tiny nuances that separated the girls; the most obvious being their attitudes. Lilly was strong, faithful, and obedient. Amelia was reckless, defiant, and impulsive. Just like her father._

 _Amelia would fight Dalton at every decision he made for the girls. It was these disobedient traits that made his oldest daughter less favorable to him. She was a direct reincarnation of everything he loathed about himself, punishing him for his every reckless decision._

 _She reached out for her Knight, smiling triumphantly. Dalton frowned, knowing already what folly move she was making._

 _"Got you!" She announced in her childish voice. "Handing him his King._

 _"That is not how the game works, Amelia." He said calmly. "You cannot kill the King as you kill the rest of the pieces."_

 _She frowned an overexaggerated frown. "I don't get it." She said putting the King down. "I moved the Knight in the L-shape and the King was at the end."_

 _"The move itself is not the issue. You cannot kill the King."_

 _"Why not?" She asked._

 _Dalton sighed, "Kings are never killed or removed from the Board; they can only be checkmate upon."_

 _"I don't like that rule!" She announced with her hands crossed over her chest._

 _Dalton let out a scoff. "The ones in power might take a hit but it's the pawns that always die."_

 _She looked up at her father with the same disobedient look he gave many. "Well then I want to be more powerful than the King. And then I can kill him."_

The car stops and Alan opens the door, extending his hand to help me out of the car. Once I am out of the car, I look around to see that we are outside of a medieval looking manor. I look up at the large structure in awe. Alan locks his arm around mine and knocks on the door. An opening of the door slides and eyes stare back at us. The man says something in what sounds like Latin, and Alan responds in another phrase in the same language. The opening slides shut and the door opens.

The man is wearing a black devil's mask that startles me. The menacing grin crawling up the cheeks of the mask. He hands Alan a similar mask and another black mask with a long beak similar to plague doctor masks. He hands me the mask that ends just above the cheeks, while his mask covers the entirety of his face. He puts his mask on, and instructs me to do the same. I swallow hard, but oblige. He aids me in tying the mask, then we head into a foyer.

Once the door closes behind us, the door in front of us opens. I push through the threshold into a ballroom filled with thick cigar smoke. I look around and my heart drops as I see what's before me. Women are in nothing but lingerie walking around or dancing on masked men. All the women wear the beaked mask, while the men wear the devil's mask. I look around in bewilderment at the sight before me.

I watch as a woman dances on a table while men lounge around her, watching her and passing cigars. Some grab themselves as they watch with lustful eyes. I turn away from the sight to see a woman naked riding on top of a man while others watch. Two women kiss and finger each other while men touch themselves watching, and in another corner a man crawls on top of a woman while he deepthroats the beak of her mask. I feel myself getting sick at everything around me, and stagger away from the site. Alan takes hold of me, tightening his grip on my elbow, keeping me from fleeing this scene. "Easy child, it is a hard sight to see at first." He says with a smooth voice.

"I want to leave." I whimper as I pull the mask off of my face and head for the foyer. The door closes behind us, but the other door doesn't open. I reach out for the handle but begin to panic when I see there is no handle. I bang violently on the door, commanding whoever is on the other end to open the door. Alan grabs at me and I push him away from me, "Let me go!" I call out to him, feeling the walls of the foyer closing in on us.

He looks at me with a sinister stare that brings a chill in my core. The deep red lights of the foyer accentuate the shadows of his face, making him look more menacing than I have ever seen him. "You are going nowhere, Child." He says with a low tone. "You have been nothing but an entitled annoyance since you entered the Animus. You will prove yourself useful tonight." He says grabbing my wrist and violently tugging me to the door.

I pull my wrist away from him. "You sold me to one of them, didn't you?" I say to him and he turns towards me with an annoyed stare. "You want to profit on my virginity?" I say to him, gaining a strange confidence. "Well you won't gain anything," I say with a wide smile. "I fucked Juhani." I say to him and he stiffens at the comment. "I fucked him a lot." I say and he looks genuinely shocked, the information not being disclosed to him by Ellen or Laetitia. "I fucked him all over the compound, right under your nose." I say smiling. "In the parking garage, in my suite, I even sucked his dick while he leaned up against your desk." I say and he recoils in abhorrence. He turns away from me and I call out, "I fucked Daniel too." I say as he freezes. "Not because I wanted to, but because I knew it would just infuriate you." I say with a proud smile, feeling so high.

He turns towards me with stiffen shoulders, and in a quick motion, he punches me across the face, busting my lip instantly. Before I can move, he presses me against the wall, slamming the back of my head against the wall. He covers my mouth with the palm of his hand and points his index finger in my face. "You filthy fucking whore!" He spits out. "Your father was a piece of shit, but you are nothing but a useless gash. Waste of space." He spits. "You are going to go clean the stench off of you, and you are going to make yourself useful and open your legs for Sinclair." He pulls his palm away from my lips, running his fingers through his hair and straightening out his suit. He heads to the door, but before opening it, looks back at me, "If you do not perform tonight, I will take that little girl of Berg's, and I will put a bullet between her eyes. All while you two watch. Then I will put a bullet in between his." He looks away from me, placing the mask on his face and descending into the cloud of smoke.

I stay in the foyer for a while, knowing that there is no way out of here for me. Knowing that if I don't go into that room, Juhani and his daughter… will die. I swallow hard and head to the bathroom where girls crowd the mirrors fixing their hair and makeup. When I enter the bathroom, the girls look at me with hostile eyes. A group of the girls leave the restroom, while one stays behind. I look at myself in the mirror, my hair messy and my lip bloody and busted. I grab a towel and press it softly to my lip, wincing at the pain.

"Kilkerman?" The girl asks as she fixes her lipstick. I look at her through the mirror. "He can be a bit rough. He likes it that way." She says speaking of an Inner Sanctum Templar named David Kilkerman who is head of the Animus Research Department. I shiver at the idea knowing that fat bastard is into beating women. "No, it's not him," she says seeing my expression. She turns to me. She is in a bit more modest clothing than the other girls and I see a nametag sticker above her left breast that reads _Birdy_. Her blue eyes are surprisingly kind, as she looks at me. "you're new here." She announces. "I haven't seen you around here."

"You're a regular?" I say in a cynical tone.

She lets out a humored scoff. "I have been here for a while." She admits. "You learn the types of men that you want to stay away from."

"How long have you been attending these parties?" I ask her and she returns with too long. "Does everyone participate in these… gatherings?" I ask her.

"That depends, there are a lot of men here that just like to watch, while the others play."

"Have you heard of someone named Juhani?" I ask her, needing to know if he has ever taken part in this. "Juhani Otso-Berg." I say.

She shakes her head. "Name's not familiar." She says and a wave of relieve hits me knowing that he hasn't built up a reputation here.

"What about Daniel?" I ask her. "Cross."

She takes a step back, and her brows come together. She seems genuinely shocked at the mention of his name. "It's because of him we had a six-year hiatus." She says and I am not sure if she is bitter about that or not.

"Did he…" I swallow hard thinking about him being involved with these groups of men.

"His tastes were a lot calmer than others." She says, "though I do not speak from experience."

I tense my jaw at the comment, "What about Dalton James? He was a Grand Master."

She looks at me with another confused glare. "He was before my time." She says and I realize that she is no older than me. "But from what I have been told about him, he used the girls for information, not sex." She begins, "He used to pay them—pretty well so they say—in exchange for valuable information on these men."

She says and I wonder what my father was doing with the information on these men and if he was actively blackmailing them.

"His name is Sinclair." I tell her. "The guy… for tonight."

She looks down at me and frowns, the sight not making me feel any better. She lets out a labored sigh and says, "He likes a screamer. If you're loud for him, he'll cum faster… maybe get off of you sooner." She says and her words don't make me feel any bit better.

I give her a pressed smile and turn away from her, not able to spend any more time with her. I walk back out and choke on the thick cloud of smoke that hits me like a wall. Before I can take another step, two men approach me and take hold of me on each arm. I don't fight them, not seeing the point in it. I know no one will help me if I struggle here, so being cooperative will make it go by faster. I figure I can be quick about this. I can make him happy, Juhani's daughter will be safe, and he will never need to know what I did tonight.

I am escorted into a room. When they open the door, I see a bed with black sheets and get hit by the overwhelming smell of perfume and sex. I enter the threshold of the door when I hear a muffled yell. I turn around to see the source of the sound is a gagged Juhani tied to a chair with two men behind him.

My eyes widen at the sight of him and he begins thrashing wildly in his chair. One of the men behind him sternly places his hand on his shoulder while pointing a gun to the back of his head. Juhani stops thrashing and looks up at me with the look of helplessness overcoming his face. I look at him with a powerless gaze in my eyes. I was able to do this for him without his knowledge, but I cannot do this when he is tied up and forced to watch.

My eyes begin watering when I hear a voice call out by the bed. "Ah Miss James, welcome." I look over at the man who calls out to me. He is a vile looking man, tall and fat, worse than Kilkerman. He is large, over 380 pounds with an overexaggerated gut hanging lowly. He is balding, with dried skin around his neck, flaking onto his suit. His teeth are crooked and stained from too much smoking. He approaches me, and his smell hits me like a brick wall. He reeks of body odor, as if he is too large to properly clean himself. He towers over me as he approaches me, standing over 6 foot 4 inches. Psoriasis sores cover his hands and the creases on his neck fat as the skin flakes around him. I reel away from him as he leans into me.

I hear Juhani groan as he approaches me, wanting to thrash out of his seat but unable to move with the gun to his head. I keep my eyes on the disgusting man, knowing that if I look back at Juhani, I will lose my composure. "Please, sit next to me." He says placing his hand on my shoulder, pressing down on my shoulder and forcing me to sit at the foot of the bed next to him. I look at his hand and try desperately not to whimper in abhorrence looking at his fat sausage looking fingers. He lets out a deep moan that sends shivers of revulsion down my spine. "When Alan said you looked so much like Angela, I didn't believe him. But oh, you are the spitting image of her." He licks his lips with a hungry need. "Yes, so much like beautiful Angela."

"And my father." I remind him threateningly, knowing that he is aware of my father's hostile reputation.

"Yes," he says in a displeased tone. "He is in your eyes." He says. "Such a shame what happened to them. Great things were coming within the Order under James. Oh yes, great things." He says salivating as he thinks of having me at the promised age of fourteen. "Alas, things outside of our control took them from us," he scoots closer to me, "but after all that, we are still here." He brushes the hair from my face with his fat fingers and I tense my shoulders at his warm touch. I hear Juhani struggle, but I keep my eyes off of him. "Not as pure as promised…" he lets out. He looks past me and at Juhani. "An act of Rikkin." He says speaking about Juhani's presence here. "A bit melodramatic if you ask me," he lets out a laugh as his entire gut shakes with him. "But a necessary tool of control." He says looking at me with a more displeased look on his face. "After this is over, he will die and you will continue your work in the Animus." He says calmly and I widen my eyes while Juhani lets out another muffled yell.

"That is not necessary." I say to him. I look over at Juhani who has stopped thrashing as the gun is pressed to his head. "We stopped seeing each other after my use of the Animus." I swallow hard. "He means nothing to me anymore." I say and Juhani swallows hard, knowing my words not to be true, but feeling the sting of them being said none the less.

The man laughs again as his gut shakes. "Oh, Little Dove," he says in a jolly tone. "You fool no one with your tone."

He takes out a gun from his waistband and places it on the nightstand of the bed. He smiles at me when he sees me watch him carefully. I swallow hard and he turns back to me, placing his hand on my leg, opening the slit of my velvet dress. His hand graces up my leg and I let out a sharp breath of repulsion. I hear Juhani yell out over his gag, barely making out, "don't touch her" _._ He smiles at Juhani's attempts to stop his advancements as he continues up my leg.

"Your father once threatened me," he says lightly pushing me to lay down on the bed. I hear Juhani's labored breaths as he tries to calm himself. He continues to climb up my thigh. "He told me that if I ever touched you, he would take my life, right there." He lets out another amused laugh. "Ah, if only he could see me now." He says looking down at me.

His fingers graze the tip of my folds and he smiles triumphantly. I shiver with nausea at his touch and he announces, "No panties. You were ready for me." Juhani lets out a yell, thrashing violently in the chair, practically falling out of it. He pulls his fingers away from me and points at the men. "Get control of him!" He commands and one of the men hits Juhani with the butt of his pistol, blood running down the side of his burned face.

I take this moment of distraction and push him off of me, elbowing him in the nose and running as I head for the door. The other man behind Juhani pulls out his gun and points it at me. Juhani screams, "no" as the man points the gun at me, while the other points it at Juhani.

Sinclair gets up and wipes the blood from his nose and approaches me. He looks at me with a wild thirst that terrifies me. He entraps me into a bear hug and throws me viciously face down on the bed. Juhani begins yelling as he grabs my ankles and drags me to the edge of the bed. He tears my dress at the slit, the sound of ripping fabric screams throughout the room. I try to kick at him, but he pries my leg open with his. He whips off his belt and places it on the bed in front of me. He bends me down over the bed, forcing my head into the mattress. "Dear, lie still. It will be better for you if you do." He says with a shivering tone. He reaches up my dress, trailing his fingers up my leg until he reaches between them. He shoves his fingers past my folds violently. I arch my back at his movement, locking my legs shut but he continues to press through me. He commands me to get wet for him, calling me his "Little Dove".

I manage to move my head and I look over at Juhani. He is thrashing violently, not caring there is a gun to his head. He looks over at me and sees me pleading with him. He stops thrashing and looks at me. He reads my expression, and for the first time since I have known Juhani, he begins to cry.

I watch as his eyes welt up and tears fall freely from his face as he is helpless to save me. I plead with him to stop. Without saying a word to him, I look at him and I tell him that it will be okay. I cannot have him die for me. He has his daughter, and he cannot die here. He cannot leave her without a father. Not like this.

"It's okay". I mouth to him as he breathes wildly. His chest lifting and falling with each breath. Sinclair's hand moves from my head down to my waist. Juhani keeps his wet eyes on me. I watch him, not looking back at what is happening to me, when I feel him push himself inside me. I let out a sharp yelp and Juhani looks away, unable to watch anymore as he thrusts inside me. I clutch unto the sheets balling my fists, wishing I could attack him.

His thrusts intensify and he begins tearing me with how rough he is being. I move my head to the mattress, unable to look at Juhani as he keeps his wet eyes off of me. He is unable to look at me and I am unable to look at him. I begin screaming into the mattress. Remembering what Birdy said about what Sinclair likes. I yell so loud and hard that my body begins shaking. He hardens inside me, thinking that I am shaking in pleasure and not revulsion. I begin crying as tears of pain fall down my cheeks.

 _Amelia._ I hear my name being called out in my head. I think that I am imagining it when I hear the voice of my father calling out to me. I look up to see him standing at the side of the bed, with his hands behind his back. He stands before me in the flesh, and I worry why I am seeing him. _Fight back._ He commands me. His eyes move to the edge of the bed. I follow his eyes. _The belt._ He tells me and I look at the belt coiled next to me. I grab the belt as Sinclair continues to aggressively thrust inside me. I wrap the buckle around my knuckles and hold onto the belt tightly. I look back at my father and he smiles at me, as though he is proud of me. _Fight back_. My father commands with a tense jaw. I take in a deep breath, calming my nerves. I open my eyes once my heartrate has gone down, and I know that I have to act fast.

I swing my arm back and bash him good in the head with the buckle. I quickly grab the belt and wrap it around his neck, looping the belt through the buckle and tightening the belt, lifting him to be a human shield as the two men point their guns at me. My father approaches us and walks behind me. _Good girl_. He whispers. Juhani looks up at me with shocked eyes as the men now point their guns at me.

"Don't you dare shoot, you idiots!" He calls out with a gruff tone over the tightening belt.

 _The gun._ My father instructs me, stepping back to show the gun on the nightstand. I move Sinclair towards the nightstand, continuing to use him as a shield. I take the gun into my hand, and tighten the belt in the other. He lets out a satisfying choking sound that brings a smile to my face. I hold the gun in my left hand, feeling uncomfortable using my non-dominate hand. I think about the night that William was before me. I think about holding the gun in my left hand, pointing it at him, and missing every shot. My heart beats heavily at the memory and my palms begin sweating. _Breathe and relax._ My father says whispering in my ear, feeling me question my skill. "Precision is key." I say out loud remembering what he told me when we went shooting together. I look over at my father and he sends me an approving nod. I take a deep breath, and with a quick motion. I shoot both men in the head, and with a sea of blood splattering from them, their lives end before they hit the ground.

Juhani begins violently thrashing in his seat now that he does not have a gun to his head. I tighten the belt on Sinclair and shoot him in the back of his knees. He roars in pain as he falls heavily to the ground. I tighten the grip on the belt and pull him up onto his knees. Juhani stops thrashing and looks at us with crippling shock at my hostile actions.

"Please!" He gags. "Please!"

I bend my head to his, pressing my lips to his ear, _"Remember what I said about touching my daughter?"_ My father's words escape my lips as I can no longer see him in the room.

"Dalton!" He cries out, knowing my father is here.

"Mila!" Juhani yells over his gag.

"Please, no!" He calls out.

 _"Oh Sinclair, you've always been a fucking pig."_ My father's words spill out, placing the gun to his head.

I loosen the belt on his neck and he coughs violently. "It was Rikkin! He sold her to me! He deserves this!" he cries out frantically.

 _"Don't worry, Sinclair."_ My father's voice says through me. _"He is next."_ A smile forms on my lips. _Kill the King_ my father says in my head and I squeeze the trigger, blowing his head and showering the room with his gore.

I look over at Juhani who is wide eyed and shocked in the corner. I approach him and he stiffens his shoulders. I pull off the gag from his lips and he looks up at me with pressed brows. "Dalton?" He asks.

I untie his arms and legs and free him from the chair. He grabs onto my face with both hands and forces me to look at him, searching my eyes for my father. "He's gone." I tell him no longer feeling the presence of my father.

He looks at me with a pressed glare, and I can tell that he is worried. He gets up and heads to the restroom. I hear the sound of rushing water, but I stand frozen at the scene of carnage that I have created. I look down at Sinclair. I remember what happened to him, I didn't black out like I did with Daniel and other times under the influence of the Bleeding Effect. I remembered everything. His voice pleading for his life, the smell of blood as it poured out of his body, the satisfaction of him falling to the ground lifeless.

"Mila," Juhani's voice calls out, bringing me back to reality. "Come," he says motioning me to the bathroom. I look to see that he filled the tub with steaming water. "You should wash yourself." He says.

I begin stripping myself of the ripped velvet dress. Juhani turns away from me as I begin to undress, not letting his eyes fall on my body. I step into the bath as soon as I am bare, feeling the hot water desensitize my nerves. I begin to wash away the blood that stains my arms and face as the water turns a murky red.

I hear Juhani shuffling around in the bedroom as I wash myself. I think about Sinclair and his hands on me. I shudder at the memory, trying to wash it away in the bath, but it seems to stick. I drain the bath and fill it again with fresh, hotter water, burning the feeling of him touching me off of my skin. I sit in the bath for a while, aimlessly staring at the water, letting my mind wander in no particular direction.

Juhani enters the bathroom, seeing me still in the bath. He clears his throat looking away from me. He grabs a towel and hands it to me, keeping his eyes on the ground, thinking that I don't want his eyes on me.

I grab the towel and cover myself. I step out of the bath and head over to the bedroom where I am struck by the overwhelming smell of bleach. The walls and floors are hastily cleaned of blood, the bedding has been stripped from the bed, and the bodies are no longer in the room.

I hold myself tightly. "How did you move him?" I ask looking at Juhani, knowing the man to be too heavy for Juhani to move on his own.

He clenches his jaw tightly, and I can see the muscles pulse as he looks uncomfortable at the question. "In pieces." He says simply and I stagger away from him. He swallows hard, not wanting me to be afraid of him. "I can't find any clothes for you." He lets out in a sad tone. He picks up his blazer and hands it to me. "This is all I have." He tells me.

I smile at him and take the blazer. His hands shake as he runs his palm against his lips. "Juhani," I say to him, he looks at me with worried eyes. "I'm sorry." I tell him and he smiles a sad smile at me, knowing that once this has been discovered, we will both be killed.


	12. Bishop

**I have been excited for this chapter to come out since I can finally announce that this story is in the same universe as my other AC story, _The Lost Memory_. There are subtle Easter eggs in both stories, so if you haven't already, check out that story and enjoy. Please read and let me know what you think of this chapter! Thank you for all the comments, favs, and follows!**

* * *

 **Bishop**

I sit in the conference on one side of the table while Ellen, Alan, and Laetitia on the other side. I hold myself at the elbows while Ellen looks down at her computer with her reading glasses on her face, while Alan sits up straight with his fingers laced on the table, and Laetitia stands pacing behind them. I look up at Laetitia who chews on her nails looking at me with sad eyes. Juhani stiffens next to me, swallowing hard as he rubs his sweaty palms on his thighs.

"Please continue Mister Berg." Ellen instructs pressing play on the recorder as she continues to type on her computer.

Juhani clears his throat and looks at me. I send him a sad smile and he continues with a wavering breath. "After countless requests to stop his advances towards her, Amelia was forced to act in self-defense." I swallow hard as he continues. "She pushed him away and he hit his head on the nightstand. I assumed him died instantly." Juhani lies. "Fearing the Bleeding Effect would be blamed for his death; I took it upon myself dispose of his body… without the help of Miss James."

The line between Ellen's brows grows prominent as she types, knowing what Juhani says is a lie. She probably wants to blame the Bleeding Effect for his death, and I am not sure if I should denounce it as the cause of his death.

Alan stiffens in my peripheral, but I cannot bring my eyes to his. He leans over to Ellen and whispers something in her ear. She turns off the recorder as Laetitia strains to hear what he says, but cannot gather what he tells her.

Ellen clears hear throat and looks up at me for the first time since we came into the room. "You had to have known what was going to happen in that room." She says harshly, "Why did you enter that room if you didn't want this to happen to you?"

"Are you kidding me?" Laetitia lets out in disgust. "Ellen what kind of chauvinistic bullshit is this?" Ellen straightens out her posture and Laetitia continues, "Are you seriously suggesting that Amelia was asking to be raped by entering that room?"

"I am simply saying that maybe Miss James is not as innocent as she would perceive herself to be." She says turning the laptop to point at us. On the screen is video surveillance of my suite in the room. Juhani looks to see Daniel laying on top of me. There is no sound to the video, but there doesn't have to be for him to understand what is going on. The act is clear as Daniel towers over me, pressing my wrists against the mattress and thrusting into me. I look away from the video and at Juhani. His jaw tenses as he keeps his betrayed eyes on the screen, not daring to look at me.

I feel his eyes on me, and when my eyes meet his, Alan smiles at me menacingly. "You want to know what happened?" I finally say, my voice hoarse from speaking for the first time. "I killed him." I say in a flat tone. "I killed Sinclair." I look from Alan to Ellen. "I shot his men, and then I shot him. I wasn't experiencing this Bleeding Effect. I was in full control of my actions." I look back at Alan. "I did it without hesitation." I say simply. "My only regret from that night was not leaving that room and killing everyone responsible for that vile night." I say leaning back in my chair.

Ellen clenches her fists, her face contorting in anger. She presses play on the recorder, "Let the record show, with her admission of guilt, Miss James will be stripped of her role as Grand Master within the Inner Sanctum." She says and Laetitia frowns. "For his assistance in obstructing the misconduct, Juhani Otso-Berg will relinquish his leadership of Sigma Team to Violet da Costa. He will also dismiss his relationship with Miss James. Failure to do so will result in his termination within the Order." She ends the recording and sighs. "Miss James, you will report to Doctor Sung to submit yourself to a medical examination to validate your claims." She says in a bored tone. "She is expecting you now."

I get up and head out of the office with Juhani at my heel. I turn towards him as the door closes behind us. He keeps his head down, unable to look at me after seeing the video. I let out a sigh and walk away from him, knowing that he won't be able to speak to me after this. I turn away from him and head to the infirmary.

Doctor Sung greets me with a sad expression, knowing full well why I am here. I return with a bored look, wanting this to be over already. She tells me to strip and lie down on the table, handing me a paper gown and heading out of the room.

I take off my clothes and lie down on the cold table. I place my legs on the metal hooks, looking up at the beaming florescent lights beating down on me. I swallow hard, hearing the door open to Doctor Sung and Laetitia enter the office. "Is your presence here necessary?" I ask her, looking at her with pressed brows.

"I thought I could provide some comfort." She says in a sad tone and I return with a labored sigh, looking up at the buzzing lights. I never realized just how loud the lights were.

"You're going to feel some pressure," Doctor Sung warns. "It's going to feel a little cold." She says and I nod, not wanting to know what medieval device she is harnessing down there.

Within a second, I feel what Sung warned me about, and I let out a grunt of discomfort. I look over at Laetitia, who gives me an apologetic look. I frown at her, unable to do anything else. I feel a scratching sensation as Sung gathers a sample of whatever she needs. I focus on the lights as my heart races. My vision begins to blur as I stare onto the bright white light.

 _Andre's eyes fluttered as he came to consciousness. The pain hit him almost immediately and he groaned as he came to. A figure rushed to his aid as his vision began to focus at the scene before him. He moved his head to the figure, then stopped as the pain halted his movement._

 _"_ _Move slowly," A soft voice guided him. "You are still gravely wounded."_

 _"_ _Where?" Was all he could manage._

 _"_ _You are safe," She assured him. Andre looked up at the figure as the image of Queen Elenore became clearer to him._

 _"_ _My Queen?" He questioned, unsure what she was doing before him._

 _"_ _Rest Andre, you must rest." She spoke before his vision blurred._

I take in a heavy sigh, not wanting to be on display for them. I continue to look at the lights, feeling tears fall down my cheek as the memory of the night creeps its way back into my thoughts. I involuntarily clench my legs, wanting to clench them shut from him, but the metal clamps hold my legs apart. Sung calls out, telling me that she is almost done when Laetitia grabs for my hand. I look over to her and she smiles at me; a warm and motherly smile that makes me wish my own mother was here.

Sung pulls the cold clamp out of me, and leans back. "You can put your legs down now." She says and I crunch up into a seated position. She places a sample in a tube and places it in a bag. She looks over at Laetitia, unable to look at me.

"The bruising and tearing are consistent with that of a sexual assault." She says trying to mask her tone as indifferent, but clearly phased negatively with the finding. "There was a small seaman sample I was able to obtain. I will test it with Berg's profile to validate." I shiver at the comment, feeling him inside me all over again.

"Doctor Sung, can we discuss this privately?" Laetitia says in an irritated tone that she is disclosing this in front of me.

"No," I let out. "I want to know." I say simply.

Sung lets out a labored sigh. "Your period is due within the next day or so." She says, telling me to clean myself of him before it arrives. I swallow hard and nod once.

"I should get the profile from the sample within the next few days." She says with a failed reassuring smile.

I thank her and the two walk out, leaving me to dress myself. I get dressed quickly, not able to be naked for a moment longer. I pull on my jeans, slip on my boots, and put on my bra and tank top. I open the door to see the two speaking to one another in hushed voices. They look back at me as I enter the lobby. "Am I free to go?" I ask.

'Of course," Sung says. "I will call for you if I need anything."

I nod and head past the two of them. I open the door to my suite. I glance over to my sister's room to see that it is closed. She must be sleeping. I head to my own room and take a staggered breath as I close the door behind me. I look up the wall to see a white disk I always believed to be a fire detector. I get a stool and reach up for the white disk. I rip it out of the ceiling as a ball of wires come out. I look to see a small quarter-sized camera in the disk. I feel my blood boil as I smash the camera against the wall, hearing it shatter on impact. Hot tears fall down my face knowing that come tomorrow, everyone will know the intimate details of my life.

 _Andre groaned as he lifted himself from the small bed he laid on. He took in his surroundings, finding them to be foreign to any he knew. He looked down to see that he was shirtless with a bandage wrapped around his abdomen. The ties on his trousers were undone, but they were still on him. He lifted himself from the bed and began tying his trousers when he heard footsteps enter the room._

 _"_ _You're awake." A soft voice had said. Andre looked up from his pants to see Queen Elenore enter the room with a warm smile._

 _"_ _My Queen," Andre acknowledged with shock, attempting to bow to her but failing at the pain from his abdomen._

 _"_ _Please," She called out, grabbing his shoulders and stopping him from bowing. "You are still weak from your battle; you must move carefully." She said with a smile, guiding him to sit at the table by the bed._

 _"_ _Where am I?" Andre asked with a groan looking down at the bloodied bandages._

 _"_ _A safehouse outside of Ascalon. An old friend of my father's once farmed here." She said handing him some water. Andre took the cup and swallowed the water quickly. Elenore smiled down at him and poured him another cup._

 _"_ _Ascalon?" Andre let out. "The siege," He stated remembering the battle. "Where are the rest of my brothers?" He asked eagerly._

 _The Queen swallowed hard, not wanting to be the one to tell him. "It was a grievous defeat." She let out sadly. "The Knights Templar fell to the Egyptian forces. The Frenchman…" She halted, biting her lips at the words. "Luis's men fled at the sight of the Templar's fall. Along with the King."_

 _Andre swallowed harshly at the thought that the King and his men allowed his brothers to die. "What of Bernard? Did he flee with the cowardly Frenchmen?" Andre spat venomously._

 _"_ _Bernard was captured and killed with the rest of the Templars. He…" She swallowed, again not wanting to be the one to tell Andre. "He was beheaded and placed on a pike atop the city walls, along with the other Knights."_

 _Andre looked at her with wide incredulous eyes. It couldn't be true. The order couldn't have fallen to those heretics and placed on the wall like animals. God would never allow it._

 _"_ _You lie," Andre spat angrily._

 _"_ _No Andre," She said sadly. "I was able to take you on my horse and spare you from the carnage, but I could not take them all."_

 _Andre looked down at his bandages, remembering the Mentor stabbing him, and lifting his body to the sky. It was a fatal blow, one that he could never survive, yet here he was sitting before her._

 _"_ _How am I alive?" Andre asked with lowered eyes. "I saw the light; I was entering Heaven's gates."_

 _"_ _God had other plans for you, Andre." She spoke lightly._

 _"_ _No," Andre said questioning her. "It isn't possible."_

 _She looked at him with worried wet eyes. "It would be easier if I showed you." She said raising from her seat and heading towards a chest under a table. She turned around and placed the chest with such fragility on the table, as though the chest would disintegrate as the slightest movement. He hands shakily opened the chest._

 _When Andres looked into the chest, he was struck with a vision in his head. He remembered being throwing the ground from the spear, the Mentor and his men leaving Andre dead on the street when small feet hastily ran towards him. "Andre," she had called out to him with fear in her voice. "Drink from the chalice Andre," she begged him, grabbing his head, placing it on his knees and forcing the water to fall on his lips before his body went limp._

 _Andre looked inside the chest now with wide incredulous eyes. He swallowed hard, taking the silver grail into his hands. Andre looked up at the Queen seeking guidance in her eyes._

 _She gave him a reassuring smile and spoke quietly, "But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life."_

Less than a week goes by and everyone's eyes are on me as I walk the compound. An email chain was "mysteriously" leaked with Ellen, Alan, Laetitia, Doctor Sung, and others of the Inner Sanctum that informed about my rape, my intimacy with Daniel, my relationship with Juhani, the confirmation that the seaman was not Berg's, and lastly, the decision to remove me from the Inner Sanctum despite the proof of rape. The email was undoubtably leaked by Alan in order to tarnish my reputation within the Order.

Sung was right and my period came in full force. For the first time I am happy to have it come so aggressively. I feel this way; my body is purging itself of everything that was left inside me that night.

I walk amongst the sea of wandering eyes until I reach the arena. I enter the empty gym with relief. I release a heavy built up breath. I put on my MMA gloves and begin sparing with a bag. I punch the bag viciously, as a wave of images fill my head. I see Sinclair, Alan, Ellen, Standish, Violet, Laetitia, Juhani, Lily, my mother, Andre, Queen Elenore, my father, and lastly… the image of William Miles breaks through my skull.

I stagger away from the bag as I breath heavily and sweaty from my session. I feel eyes on me, and when I look over, I see Violet watching me. She looks concerned, and she must have been calling out to me. I nod once at her, as I turn back to my bag and punch with more control.

She looks around then back at me. "I would hate to be that bag right now." She says with an awkward chuckle. I continue to punch the bag as she approaches me. "Your form looks good." She lets out uncomfortably.

"What do you want, Violet?" I ask turning towards her. "I am sure you are enjoying the new position on Sigma Team Lead. Is there anything you need from me? Or are you just here to gloat?" I say turning away from her and continue punching the bag, more noticeably with aggression.

"No…" she lets out with a sad tone. "I never wanted Sigma Team." She says. "Berg was a good boss." She smiles sadly. "I should have known you two are a thing. It's so obvious looking back—"

"Why are you here?" I ask turning towards her with tear filled eyes as her mention of Juhani upsets me.

She sees my tears and presses her brows together with empathy. "No one deserves…" She stops, looking down at her hands, not able to say it. "Not even you." She says looking me in the eyes as tears begin bridging her lashes.

My chin quivers and I look away from her. I quickly grab my things and head out the gym, leaving her behind me. I head out and take a staggered breath trying to compose my emotions. I take a deep breath, letting out a short sob and compose myself quickly.

I decide to keep my mind off of things and head to the Animus room to do some research on Rebecca Crane and Bishop. I log into the computer and begin to pull some data on any digital movements the two of them made. I get some trace of Bishop moving information on the Phoenix Project, but everything is encrypted and I can't seem to crack what code she is using. I tell myself to get Lily's eyes on this, to see if she might be able to crack something that I can't.

I hear a door open, but I continue to work on the computer, not looking away from the screen. I hear someone clear their throat. I look up to see my sister looking back at me. She looks sad and frowns when my eyes meet hers. I take a deep breath as she speaks up, "Mila… how are… are you…" She struggles on her words, unable to ask if I am okay.

"I think I found some info on Bishop." I divert, seeing her lips press into a flat line. "I might need your help to decipher it."

"Amelia, I think we need to talk…"

"I don't want to talk about it, Lilly." I tell her sternly. "There is nothing to talk about."

"Talking about it might help you heal."

I look at her with a pressed glare. "Talking about it won't change anything. I've done enough talking about it." I say returning to my typing.

"Why did you go into that room with him?" She asks, treading carefully.

My eyes meet hers and she swallows hard, realizing the harshness of her question. Rather than starting a fight with her, I simply go back to typing on the computer. She lets out a staggered sigh and wheels herself out of the room.

I let out a built-up breath when she closes the door behind her, and continue to type on the computer. I look through some files. Seeing some chats between Rebecca Crane, Harlan Cunningham, and Shaun Hastings. I read as they communicate their location in code. I frown knowing that had we found this in the moment, we could have met with them and caught up with them.

I dig through the Phoenix Project, to see what Bishop might want with this information when a pop up appears and obstructs my view. I try to exit out of the black box, but there is no exit. I watch as the cursor blinks back at me, wondering if anything will appear when words finally strewn across the screen.

 _So, when are we going to Snowmass?_

My heart races as the words appear before me. I squint at the screen suspiciously. I know this chat to be what Lilly uses to communicate with her Initiates, and I wonder why one of them would be using it to talk about a ski resort. My hands shake as I type back.

 _Depends on how much tickets are from where you're at?_

I wait anxiously as the cursor blinks, awaiting to display the text.

 _Maine isn't too far from Colorado. Closer than you._

My brows press together and I wonder why the Initiates are in Maine. I wonder what could possibly bring the Altair II there and if there is any intel they have gathered.

 _Any update on William Miles?_ I type and a second later, the box disappears. "Fuck," I let out chewing on my nails, figuring the Initiate had to log off.

I continue to search the computer and decide to hack into Alan's account from here. Once I break into his account, I am instantly greeted by a memo that he is typing up to send out. I read the memo that discusses the death of Sinclair, labelling it a heart attack and not mentioning my presence in the room with him. I continue to read the memo that discusses the Order's current enemies, ranking the most dangerous to the Order.

An Assassin by the name Azalea Salam is ranked number one with a 5 million dollar bounty on her head. I don't know much about her, but I know that she is in possession of various Pieces of Eden, which gives her the title of most dangerous enemy to the Order. Accompanying her bounty is a grainy photo of her taken from across the street. It is difficult to make her out and despite hearing her name before, I don't know much about her.

William Miles is ranked second with 3 million dollars. My heart races as I look at the photo we have of him, from when Juhani brought him in. He is bloodied, and the photo looks like a mugshot. Seeing his face and knowing that I was so close to having him all to myself makes me nauseous.

I scroll down to see that the third target is Bishop, with 1 million dollars on her soul. She is the only person on the list with no photo and no idea of who she really is. She is also the only target that is wanted alive, while the others are specifically marked as wanted dead or alive.

I exit out of the memo and continue my research on Rebecca. If Bishop is so important to the Order, and I manage to bring her in, I will finally gain the respect of the Order, and I will finally be one step closer to killing William.

Rebecca has been better about hiding her digital footprint, and it has become harder to track her. I sit at the computer for a while, pulling files when I finally find something. It is a chat after Juhani uploaded Shay Cormac's story. Various threads of Rebecca, Shaun, Gavin Banks and others reacting to Juhani uploading the memories to their external servers. It was this action per these chats that must have drove William out of hiding and into the arms of Bishop. There is a plethora of information such as Gavin evacuating various Assassin compounds along with much more.

"How the fuck did you miss this, Lilly?" I let out as I read the comments. I make note of one of the comments. It's a clear code written by Rebecca, potentially stating her location to the others. I write down the series of numbers and play around with the code. It takes me a while, but I finally get clear coordinates. I type the coordinates into a computer to see that they lead to an abandon lighthouse in Maine. I swallow hard, shakily writing down the address.

 _Maine isn't too far from Colorado._ My heart beats wildly in my chest. The Initiates must be picking up Rebecca and Shaun and they tried to give Lilly their location before logging off. I log off of the computer and hold onto the paper for dear life. I head away from the Animus room, and powerwalk down the hall, I turn a corner and when I do, I crash into a hard body.

I look up to see the body I crash into is Juhani. "I am sorry," I stagger, trying to move past him.

"Amelia, are you alright?" He asks in a rough tone.

I look back at him and see the genuine concern in his eyes. I know that I have to act fast before Rebecca and Shaun are picked up by Gavin and the Initiates, but I know that going in alone would be a suicide mission.

I look around, seeing if there are any cameras or personal around. I move closely to him and he bends his head down to my level. "Meet me in the parking garage." I tell him, walking away from him before he can ask any questions.

I wait inside the black SUV, shakily drumming my thumbs on the steering wheel. I crew on my lower lip, wondering where he is and if I should leave without him. I look around when I hear an exit door open. I look to see that it is not Juhani, but the security guard. I curse as I slump down in the seat, not allowing the man to see me. My heart beats heavily as he approaches the vehicle.

I swallow hard, waiting for him to open the door when I hear him call out, "Berg, what are you doing down here?"

"I am going to run some errands for Alan." Juhani returns in a light tone.

"Rikkin aware of this?" He says in a hostile tone.

"Well he cannot have me run errands for him if he is unaware of them, can he?" Juhani states in a pressed tone, approaching the vehicle I am in, holding onto the handle. "And I am sure he wouldn't appreciate you delaying me, so if you would?" He says with a condescending smile that reaches his eyes.

I cannot see how the security guard reacts, but after a moment, Juhani opens the door and I look up at me. He nods at me, to tell me the coast is clear and I shuffle into the passenger seat as he steps into the SUV.

"Do you mind telling me now what is going on?" he says simply as he drivers out of the parking garage.

I lift my head once we are out in the opening. "One of Lilly's Initiates reached out to me, they told me that Rebecca was in Maine. Then I found an encrypted chat where Rebecca provided this address to Gavin Banks," I say lifting the paper. "Validating that she is in fact in Maine."

He stiffens his grip around the steering wheel and I can tell that he is uncomfortable with the intel I have. "What is to say that Banks hasn't picked her up at this location?" He returns skeptically.

"Because the Initiate confirmed their location in Maine. Gavin is on his way to her. We need to act quickly."

Juhani looks over at me, and I can tell that he is hesitant to follow this intel, but inevitably sighs and gives in, figuring that it will appease me.

We drive towards the airport wordlessly. It isn't long until we are on the plane and heading towards Rebecca Crane. I find myself nervous at the thought, being one step closer to her, closer to Bishop, and inevitably, closer to William.

We land in Maine where we check into a shitty motel room that takes cash and doesn't ask questions. I place my bags on the bed and realize that there is only one bed in the room. Juhani reads into the hesitation and clears his throat. "I can get a separate room if you'd like."

"No, it's fine," I tell him and he makes his way to the door.

"I'll get another room, give you your space."

I turn towards him and look up at him. "It's not your fault." I tell him. "You need to stop blaming yourself."

He hesitates for a moment, not sure what to say to that. He then looks down at me with sad eyes. "If I escorted you to the Gala—"

"What does saying 'what if' do?" I say to him. "It doesn't change anything."

"Just because it doesn't change anything, doesn't mean it didn't happen." He says with a harsh tone.

"It was either bare down and take it. Or leave Elina without a father." I say aggressively as he staggers away from me. "I will get over it. She wouldn't." I say sadly. He looks me up and down, torn between being upset with me, and grateful.

"I apologize," He says with a defeated sigh. "It was the hardest thing for me to watch. I felt helpless." He frowns. "It was as though I was learning of Elina's disease again." He sighs slumping on the edge of the bed. "Sitting in the room, knowing that an overweighing force was taking away the woman I love and being utterly helpless to stop it." I look down at him and his bloodshot eyes meet mine. "I should have told you before. I should have kept you closer to me. I should have protected you. I should have—"

I stop him before he can continue by pressing my lips aggressively against his. I grab his face with both hands and turn him to a better angle. My hands shake as I hold him tightly. His hands move to my hips and he grabs onto them tightly, squeezing me tightly, as if I would dematerialize before him if he didn't hold onto me. "Stop…" I let out with a heavy sigh.

He looks up at me with pressed brows and sad eyes. "Mila," he says placing the palm of his hand on my cheek. "I don't know what to say to you. It seems everything that comes out is wrong." He says with a frown. "I don't want you to feel helpless. I don't want to feel helpless." He frowns.

I grab his hand and kiss the palm of it. "I was not helpless in that room." I say, shutting my eyes tightly. "I went in there knowing what was going to happen to me." I open my eyes and look at him. "Alan told me that if I didn't, he would kill Elina and you." Juhani's eyes harden. "I went in there knowing what was going to happen to me, and I would go in there again if it meant protecting you two."

He buries his head in my chest and I hold him tightly against my breast. He lets out a sob and I feel tears falling past his cheeks. "I love you." He says looking up at me with wet eyes. "I will always love you." He lets out.

I smile at him, pressing my lips hard against his, holding him tightly in my arms. He kisses me passionately, more so than he ever has before. He leans towards me, guiding me to lay on the bed while he crawls on top of me. He looks down at me and before I can process his expression, he presses his lips hard against mine.

I slip my tongue in his mouth, feeling the passion in our touch rise. I frantically grab for his shirt, practically ripping it off of him. He tugs off my shirt and kisses the curves of my breasts as he grabs them tightly, unclasping my bra with ease. He moves to his pants, unbuckling his belt, and kicking his pants to the ground. His hands make their way to my jeans, unbuttoning them and pulling them off with ease.

He runs his hand through his hair as he looks up at me. I look down at him, shivering in anticipation at his touch. His hands explore my body, as he moves from my breasts, down to my hip bones. He holds on for leverage as he presses into me.

I inhale sharply, feeling him fill me up entirely. He begins a consistent thrust as I hold onto the sheets trying to ground myself. I close my eyes, allowing myself to enjoy the sensation. I look up at him with wet eyes as tears begin to fall down my cheeks.

He looks down at me with concern, placing his palm against my cheek, "Are you alright?" He asks me between staggered breaths, brushing the tear with his thumb.

"Don't… stop…" I beg him as the tears fall down my face, feeling closer to him than I have ever felt before. "I… I love you." I tell him. He looks at me with happiness in his eyes. He presses his forehead to mine, breathing heavily as he thrusts into me. "I love you." I tell him between breaths, validating my feelings for him as tears fall freely down my cheeks. He presses his lips against mine while continuing to thrust into me. I moan at the sensation, tossing my head back as he moves his lips to my neck. He grabs onto my hands, pulling them from the sheets and intertwining his fingers in mine. He slides my arms above my head and begins thrusting harder.

He comes to his climax, earlier than he would like, not expecting to reach his peak as quickly as he did. He breaths heavily into my ear, pressing his lips against it. "I am sorry…" He lets out. "I couldn't…"

"It's okay," I interrupt him, grabbing his head, tangling my fingers in his hair as I press his ear to my heart. I breath heavily, smiling for the first time since I can remember.

 _Andre tugged onto the fabric of his cloak, trying to contain his fury as he looked onto the city gates where the dismembered heads of his brothers decorated the walls. He rolled his jaw, his hands shaking as they held the reigns of his beast._

 _His eyes landed on Bernard's severed head. He thought the vision of his brother dead would have brought him solace, but it did the opposite. He found a hatred ignite inside him and a need to have those responsible delivered to Hell for their act against God and His army._

 _The Queen approached Andre's horse, hiding behind her own hood. "I told you we shouldn't have come here." She stated looking down at her hands, unable to see the men before her._

 _"_ _They were my brothers. They were Knights of Templar Order." Andre said with clenched teeth, disgusted at what came of them. "I should be up there." Andre let out and the Queen looked at him with stunned eyes. "My brothers are dead and in Heaven, while I stand here; the coward who escaped."_

 _"_ _Andre, you are not a coward." She said to him in a strong tone. "God placed you before me. He placed the Grail in my hands. It was His wish that I found you and you survived that day." Andre did not look at her, and could not._

 _He couldn't see it how she saw it. What would be God's purpose to kill the men in his Order and leave him to be the soul survivor? Was this punishment for killing Robert? He did so in order to regain the Knights Templar to the will of God. Was it for questioning his faith before Everard? Seeing the Grail had restored that faith. Or was it for obeying the folly attack King Luis planned upon the gates of Ascalon, knowing it would not win the war for his Lord Almighty? But he did as his King commanded. Andre had no reason for why God would spare him from the carnage his brother's faced, but he found the test of his faith too heavy for him to bare._

 _"_ _They deserve a Christian burial." Andre said woefully, knowing the men would never receive one in their state._

 _Andre looked upon his queen as her eyes finally met the men displayed before her. "In your hands, O Lord," she began the prayer. Andre placed his head down in prayer as tears welled in his eyes. "We humbly entrust our brothers and sisters. In this life you embraced them with your tender love; deliver them now from every evil and bid them eternal rest. The old order has passed away: welcome them into paradise, where there will be no sorrow, no weeping or pain, but fullness of peace and joy with your Son and the Holy Spirit forever and ever." Andre turned away from her, bringing the horse to a gallop plotting his vengeance against each one of those infidel men as the Queen ended with "Amen."_

We wake up in the night, getting ready to storm the location. I get dressed in black jeans, and a long sleeve black shirt. I pull my long hair into a pony tail, watching as Juhani ties his boots.

I pull out my pistol from my bag, swallowing hard, preparing myself to use it tonight. I feel Juhani's eyes on me, and when I look over at him, I can tell that he is uncomfortable at where this mission might go.

I shove the gun in my waistband, not allowing he or I to worry about the mission. I head out of the hotel with him following at my heel. I head for the coordinates that I found in the chat. It takes us less than an hour to get to the edge of the pier where the lighthouse sits just off the shore. I pull out my binoculars to look into the lighthouse, but I cannot see anything from where I am.

Juhani reaches for the binoculars and I hand them to him. He places them to his face and looks onto the lighthouse. I watch as his jaw tenses looking onto the lighthouse. "Are you sure these are the correct coordinates." Juhani asks handing me the binoculars.

"These were the coordinates that I deciphered in the encrypted email thread." I tell him.

"You're sure you encrypted the email properly?" He says skeptically seeing nothing in the light house.

"I am positive." I tell him in a pressed tone.

"Did you run this information over with Lilly?" He asks me.

"No, my sister was tasked to look over Bishop and her tie to the Assassins." I look at him with concerned eyes. "It was not difficult for me to locate the chat, Juhani. I am not sure how my sister missed this."

"You seem accusatory." He says lowly.

"I am not accusing her of anything." I tell him. "But I do find it troublesome that she didn't see this."

"Well there is only one way to confirm." He says simply as he pulls his gun from his waistband and heads towards the lighthouse. I follow his lead and he take first position, moving carefully towards the structure. Juhani approaches the door and after a moment of determining that no one is inside, he begins to pick the lock of the door.

We enter the threshold of the lighthouse on edge and ready for someone to attack, however, there is no attack. Juhani leads me up the stairs as we head towards the living quarters of the lighthouse. There are posters on the walls and event maps showing that Rebecca and Shaun have been here. My heart races at the idea that I was right and we have found them.

When we reach the top of the stairs, Juhani listens carefully at the door for any movement. After a moment of silence, he picks the lock and we enter with raised guns. We look around and it is clear that Rebecca and Shaun are not here. I drop my gun and tuck it into the waistband of my jeans. I look around disappointed that we missed them. I begin to finger through some of their paperwork. Various scribbles, sketches, and codes are strewn all over the desks.

I look over at Juhani who places his hand on the side of the computer tower. "It's warm." He lets out and my heart drops. "They just left." He states. My heart races and I look around for any information that might be helpful. I find a cipher to a code. I pull out my phone and take a photo of the cipher to help me with other encrypted chats I might come across. I continue to search the desks for valuable information while Juhani does the same.

"We should leave," Juhani says. "We can inform Alan of this location and send in a team to confiscate the computers." He says. "Leave everything in order so they do not suspect." He instructs. I nod simply and begin to back away as I have gathered everything I need. Before I turn from the desk, something catches my eyes, shining by the monitor.

I look over at the object. When my eyes lock on it my heart drops and my eyes widen. I stand there frozen, captivated by the scene. My throat closes and I can hardly breathe. My hands shake as I reach out for it. My heart pounds in my ears and my eyes tear obscuring my vision. I let out a short scoff that gets caught in my throat. My brows press together in confusion at the sight before me. I reach out for the small glass figurine and wrap my fingers around it. I let out a staggered breath, feeling it, knowing that it is real and not a figment of my imagination as I take the figurine into my hand. In my hand is the missing glass white Bishop piece.


	13. Fallout

**Hope you all are enjoying the story. Let me know what you think about Bishop and if you saw this coming? As always, thank you for all your support!**

* * *

 **Fallout**

I begin hyperventilating, shaking violently at the sight before me. I fall to my knees and begin sobbing uncontrollably. Juhani comes running over to me asking me what is wrong. I cannot say anything to him, I cannot think. I simply hold the Bishop piece in one hand, and covering my mouth in the other.

"We need to leave." He states in a low and threatening tone, grabbing me violently by the armpit and pulling me to my feet. He pulls me out of the lighthouse while I cling onto the Bishop piece to my breast.

He pulls me out of the area and quickly into the SUV as he drives away. I begin breathing heavily as we move, trying to calm myself down, but failing at doing so.

"Amelia, I need you to compose yourself." Juhani says stiffly looking at the road, not daring to look at me. I continue to cry, not allowing myself to calm down. He glances over at me and sees the Bishop piece in my hand. "You took it?" He yells at me, "Amelia, they will know—"

"Did you know?" I yell over him and he stops, looking at me with wide eyes. I calm my breathing and look at him with hopeless eyes. "Please tell me you didn't know about this." I beg him.

He tenses his jaw and looks back at the road, unable to look at me. I turn away from him, not wanting to see him in this moment.

I look down at the Bishop piece in my hands. It has been so long since I have seen this piece, thinking that it was lost forever, when she knew where it was this whole time.

I find myself getting sick, and I tell Juhani to pull over. When he pulls over, I fall out of the SUV, retching on the side of the street. Juhani gets out of the SUV and comes running over towards me, rubbing my back and holding my pony tail from falling in front of my face.

I spit out the remanence with a groan. I feel my necklace hit against my chin as tears fall down my face at this betrayal.

 _Dalton watched with a smile as his daughters opened their gift. They tore at the wrapping violently, exposing they marble chess board behind the decorative paper._

 _The girls called out with glee at the gift, thanking their father at the beautiful board. Dalton explained to the girls that each piece was handcrafted by a glass blower he commissioned, making the board on of a kind._

 _Lilly exclaimed as she held up the Queen, admiring her beauty, whereas Amelia reached for the Knight, admiring the detail of his sword, horse, and even mentioning the Knight's Cross on his shield._

 _Dalton smiled at his girls' reactions to the gift. He looked over to his wife who smiled warmly at the sight. Dalton moved to her next, handing her a small box._

 _"_ _Dalton, you didn't need to—"_

 _"_ _Please Angela," He had said warmly, motioning her to open the gift._

 _Angela smiled sheepishly, pulling at the perfectly tied bow atop the packaging. When she opened the box, her eyes widened, sparkling with wonder._

 _"_ _Dalton…" She released, looking down at the exquisite pearl necklace looking back at her. Her hands trembled at the sight. Dalton smiled, rising before her and taking the box from her. He removed the necklace, and delicately placed it around his wife's neck as she held her hair back._

 _Dalton moved away from his wife to look upon her. He was stunned by her beauty in this moment._

 _"_ _What do you think?" She asked with a timid smile._

 _Dalton was at a loss. She was more beautiful then the day he first saw her, then the day he married her, or the day she had the girls. She was flawless. "You look perfect." He let out, his words not doing his thoughts justice._

 _Her smile grew even more timid and Dalton moved to her, kissing her passionately. She was shocked at his advancement to her, but returned his passion once she recovered._

 _"_ _I love you more than anything," he told her, wanting nothing more than this moment to last forever._

I sit in a very noisy Mexican restaurant as the band plays loudly behind me. I frown holding the Bishop piece in my hands, slowly caressing the chess piece. The more I touch it, the more I realize that it is real—material—and not a figment of my imagination.

A waitress comes by, and despite my saying that I am not hungry, Juhani orders for me. He sloppily eats his food and drinks his beer, clearly enjoying his meal more than I am as I let mine get cold. He looks at me, watching as I stare at the piece.

He rolls his eyes and takes a heavy sigh. "Mila, you need to eat."

"I remember the day my dad gave Lilly and I the chess board." I say aloud looking intently at the Bishop piece. "It was Christmas, and Lilly and I were seven. We unwrapped the gift and I remember being stuck by the sheer beauty of it. Every piece was so intricate and beautiful." I say looking at the Bishop with his staff. "I instantly went for the Knight. He looked to powerful and fearless on his horse, holding his sword in one hand and his Templar shield in the other. I remember wanting to be as fearless as him." I admit. "My father gave my mother a pearl neckless for her gift. It was stunning, and it made her eyes light up." My eyes begin tearing up at the memory. "I think it was the happiest I have ever seen them."

Juhani swallows hard unsure how to reply. "You have all the pieces now." He says simply.

A lump begins rising in my throat and I think about the chess board. I remember playing with my father countless times, loving the game more than my sister. She had a natural talent for the game, and beat me countless times without even trying. But I worked on the game endless nights with my father, learning every strategy, every move, every attack. It made me closer to my father and it made me more like him.

I cannot help and feel betrayed by my sister, and I cannot help but wonder what my father would do had he been alive to learn of her turn.

"Everything that I worked towards…" I let out, "All those hours… they were reported to _her_." I say with venom on my lips, unable to say her name.

Juhani lets out a sigh and digs into his breast pocket, pulling out a thumb drive and putting it before me. "It's all I could gather in the time that we were there." He tells me as I take the drive in my hand. "It might have information we find useful." He says in a hoarse tone, taking another bite of his food.

I look down at the drive, feeling the small weight of the devise to be heavier than ever. I swallow hard, looking down at everything my sister has done for the Assassins. On this small drive in my hands, is Lilly's death certificate.

I get sick at the idea and place the drive into the pocket of my jeans. I look past Juhani when I see someone that catches my eye. My heart drops as my hearing muffles. Juhani sees my widened eyes and looks behind him to see Rebecca and Shaun coming in and sitting two tables away from us.

I get up from my seat, reaching in my waistband for my gun. Juhani turns back to me and viciously grabs my arm and forces me back down in the booth with a loud bang that is unheard over the deafening Mexican music. "What the fuck are you thinking?" Juhani asks venomously. "Are you just planning on shooting everyone in this fucking restaurant?"

"She is _right there_!" I let out with a whimper.

"And I promise you that we will get her, but not right now and not like this." He says angrily. I look over his shoulder, watching as they laugh carefree, and order with smiles. Juhani lets out a sigh as he picks up the check and pulls out his wallet. "Mila, listen to me," He says not looking at me while he counts out the bills in his wallet. "You will not speak of what we saw here today. When we return, you will forget we came here, and you will continue your work within the Animus, discontinuing your work in locating Rebecca and William." He finally looks up at me, placing the money on the check. "Is that understood?" He asks me with harsh eyes. The waitress comes by and he tells her he doesn't need change. "Now let's go." He says calmly.

He gets up and waits for me to follow his lead. I do after a moment of hesitation. He ensures to hold me by the elbow as we pass their table, guaranteeing that I do not make a move towards them. We get to the SUV and I push him away from me. I get into the SUV without another word and look out the window, wordlessly waiting for us to return to the compound. I take hold of my necklace feeling my heart drop and a lump build in my throat.

 _Amelia sat in the hallway, shaken and scared. Her hands were trembling and covered in blood. Her head was pounding and her vision continually blurred. She sniffled looking down the hall when she saw an approaching figure._

 _She released a sob helplessly as she launched herself at his hard body. She sobbed uncontrollably in his shoulder, ruining his suit no doubt with the blood all over her clothes._

 _He grabbed the back of her head, rocking her back and forth as he kneeled down to her level. "Shh," he told her in a soothing tone. "It's alright. I am here."_

 _She sniffled looking up at him with pressed scared brows. "Alan, I want to see Lilly. They won't let me see her."_

 _He sent her a conflicted gaze. "She is in surgery, child." He told her in a soft tone. "But she is going to be fine." He examined her from an arm's reach. "I have brought you some new clothes. You should wash yourself and get into something more comfortable." He said, handing her the shopping bag of clothes._

 _"_ _Alan," She looked up at him innocently. "They won't tell me anything about Mommy and Daddy."_

 _Alan looked down at the little girl, his emotions tearing at the sight of her innocence. "They gathered your mother and father from the scene." He had said simply, unable to tell her any of the details regarding their state._

 _"_ _Are they in surgery?" She asked him._

 _"_ _No little one," Alan said with a breaking heart. "The Assassins have taken them from us." He said._

 _"_ _They are dead?" She asked him with a painful innocence in her voice._

 _Alan swallowed harshly, looking down at the small child. "I am so sorry little one. They could not be saved." He let out helplessly._

 _Amelia looked down conflicted in emotions at the moment, feeling more hate in her heart than sadness. "He hard dark hair, and dark eyes." She told Alan._

 _Alan nodded once, "We know the identity of the man who killed your father."_

 _"_ _What is his name?" Amelia asked with hardening eyes._

 _"_ _William Miles." Alan said, not knowing that in that moment, a spark had ignited in her heart. Amelia in that moment told herself that she would never forget that name until the man behind it was dead._

We enter the compound and I find myself felling as though I am on autopilot. My mind isn't recording. I cannot remember walking through the lobby and heading towards the elevator. Juhani enters the elevator with me, and when it closes, he clears his throat. "Careful what you say to her." He says to me. "Not only is everything being monitored… but you won't want to say something that you will regret." Juhani says looking forward, already knowing that I have no control over my emotions.

I take in an uneven breath as the doors open and I head towards the Animus room. My heart beats in my ears as I hold onto the Bishop piece tightly. The doors to the Animus room opens up and my sister sits before the computer chatting on the black box that I chatted on with the Initiate that I now know was Rebecca Crane.

"Amelia," she lights up at the sight of me. "Where have you been? I was worried about you."

"Where is the Bishop piece, Lilly?" I ask her with an uneven tone.

Lilly looks at me with pressed brows. "What?" She questions with an awkward laugh. "I told you," she says as her eyes shift over to Juhani as he enters the room. "I lost it in college." She says shifting her gaze back to me.

"Don't lie to me." I tell her as tears accumulate in my eyes.

"I am not," She says with a worried scoff. "I am sorry that I lost it, I wish that I didn't but—"

"Then what the fuck is this?" I yell pulling out the white Bishop piece.

Her eyes widen, practically bulging out of her eyes. "How did…" She stumbles on her words, looking over at Juhani for guidance.

"Bishop?" I ask her. And Juhani heads towards the camera in the room and pulling the wires out of the wall. "After everything that I said to you." I tell her as Juhani moves to the next camera. "After the countless hours of searching through every eye splitting pixel of data…" Juhani pulls out another camera from the wall, "You sat there and you watched me stress out trying to find Bishop." I watch as he takes the last camera out of the wall in the room when my eyes fall on my sister. "And you were Bishop the entire fucking time!" I yell as loudly as I can.

My sister looks at me with wide fearful eyes that matched the eyes she had when she saw Daniel and I fight under the influence of the Bleeding Effect. "It's not true." She begins but I stop her.

"Then why was the missing Bishop piece in Rebecca Crane's hideout!" I yell at her. "Don't lie to me, Lilly!"

"Is she okay?" She asks me with teary eyes. "Please tell me she is okay." She lets out with a sob.

I look at her with wide and hurt eyes. "She's your girlfriend. Rebecca fucking Crane is your girlfriend." I say shaking at the realization.

"Mila, I am sorry, I… I don't know what to say." She lets out with a sob.

"You're a fucking Assassin!" I yell out throwing the white Bishop piece to the ground shattering it in a million small pieces. Lilly cries out at the sound of falling glass rings out in the room. Juhani stiffens behind me as I approach her with tense shoulders. "How could you do this?" I say in a shaking voice. "How can you be an Assassin, after everything they have done to us? To our family?"

"What do you mean 'how can I be an Assassin'?" She calls out. "Of course I am an Assassin!" She yells and I take a step away from her. "It was a Templar that killed our mother. It was a Templar that drove our car into the lake and paralyzed me. It was a Templar that used you as a tool to get the Holy Grail. It was a Templar that deteriorated your mind. It was a Templar that forced you into a room with that vile man. It was a Templar that fucking _raped_ you!" She calls out, her voice ringing in the room. "So of course I am a fucking Assassin. Why aren't you?" She yells at me.

I take a step away from her, in complete shock at what she is saying to me. "After everything, you were deleting any information that I could have possibly found on Bishop." I let out betrayed. "And the Initiates? All their shitty intel has been because they're fucking Assassins too?"

She places her head down in shame and I shake my head in disbelief. I run my fingers through my hair. "I loved you Lilly." I let out hopelessly. "Everything that I have done, I have done for you." I swallow hard, choking on the lump in my throat.

"You think I asked for that?" She lets out with tear-filled eyes. "You acted like I was a fragile doll!" She yells out hatefully. "You think I wanted you to take care of me like a child? This was my way of showing that I wasn't helpless. That you didn't define me. That I didn't need _you_." She says boldly and her words cut me deeply.

I shake my head baffled at what's unfolding before me. "I…" I stumble on my words. "I am telling Alan." I let out turning away from her.

"Mila," Juhani says getting between me and the door. "That is not wise." He says in a threatening tone.

"Get out of my way," I spit venomously.

"If you tell him, I will tell him that you helped me." Lilly calls out as I try to push myself past Juhani.

I turn towards her with shocked eyes while she returns with a defiant glare. "He won't believe you." I return between clenched teeth.

"Of course he will." She says with tears falling down her face. "You're my sister. You would do anything for me." She says in a sad tone.

"You wouldn't dare," I say approaching her with tense shoulders.

"I won't let this Order take anything else from us." She says disobediently with teary eyes.

In a quick motion, I viciously grab her face, my palm covering her lips while my fingers enclose around her cheeks and jawbone. I press my finger to her face, "I am telling him and you are not dragging me down with you." I threaten her.

I hear a click and her water eyes widen looking behind me. I turn my head slowly to see Juhani holding a gun to my head. "Let go of her, Amelia." He threatens ominously.

"How could you?" I ask him as my voice cracks at the betrayal. "She is an Assassin!" I yell at him.

"I am stopping you from doing something you will regret." Juhani tells me harshly. "Now, let go of your sister, Amelia." He demands, cocking the gun.

I let out a scoff at his willingness to shoot me. I turn back to my sister as she looks at me with fearful eyes, her makeup smeared and the look of utter dismay in her eyes. "Look at what you have done." I tell her. "I hope you're proud of yourself." I dig in my shirt and pull out the ballerina necklace. I pull on the chain, tearing it off of my neck while still holding onto my sister's face. "You're dead to me." I say looking back at Juhani who continues to hold the gun to me in case I make a fatal move against my sister. I drop the necklace on the ground and step on it, breaking the charm.

I let go of my sister's face as tears strewn down her cheeks. I walk out of the room shaking in wrath, no longer able to look at either of them.

 _Amelia took a heavy sigh as she rolled off of Juhani. His chest was lifting and his breath staggered at their exercise. Amelia smiled, feeling herself still pulsating from the sensation. She placed her head on Juhani's sweat glistened chest, placing her hand on his breast._

 _Juhani had let out a satisfied laugh looking down at her with a pleased smile. They laid there for a moment, not speaking to one another, but enjoying the presence of each other._

 _"_ _You will have to be quieter." Juhani finally said breaking the silence. "If you don't wish for the whole compound to hear." He jested._

 _Amelia smiled wickedly, "what can I say? I enjoyed myself."_

 _"_ _I enjoyed you as well." Juhani said with a chuckle._

 _Amelia lifted herself from his chest and headed to the restroom. She called out to Juhani, "You better get ready, Lilly will be here any moment."_

 _"_ _You don't think she already knows about us?" He called out to her from the bedroom._

 _"_ _I doubt that." Amelia said entering the room. "She hasn't mentioned it."_

 _"_ _Maybe she is waiting for you to mention it." He suggested._

 _"_ _I don't think it is right." Amelia admitted to him. "It feels selfish, being able to enjoy you, when she cannot experience the same pleasures."_

 _"_ _You do not think she will find someone to make her feel this way?" He questioned her._

 _Amelia shrugged. "I hope Lilly will find a nice man to take care of her and love her. But to be truthful with you, I don't not see that for her." Amelia had admitted and Juhani cocked his head curiously. "I just think that entrapping herself here, working for Abstergo limits her options. I have come to the realization that Lilly will continue to live with me, and I look forward to our lives together." Amelia said with a pressed smile._

 _"_ _Do you not wish a life of your own? Children of your own?" Juhani asked._

 _"_ _Of course I want that. But taking care of Lilly will not limit me from having my life."_

 _"_ _But maybe you taking care of her, might limit her from having a life of her own."_

"Hey there, this is probably disorienting so I'll be brief. I am Bishop, not my real name—obviously—but that is as much as you'll get today. Please listen carefully; Abstergo is using you. Hijacking your neurons to sift through genetic memory data. These guys have their fingers in countless corporations, governments, media outlets, and NGOs. But now, they want control over history itself. If that doesn't frighten you, it should. But we're here to stop them… and I need your help."

I press pause on the video and take a deep breath. I am numb to what I am seeing, not sure if it is even real. There she is on the video, spitting image of me. She is in a computer chair, hiding that she is paralyzed, wearing the brown jacket that I bought her with Alan's credit card. I exit out of the video, unable to watch anymore of her propaganda.

I search the thumb drive that Juhani gave me for more information. I come across a conversation thread between her and Rebecca. Rebecca tells her that William has left the Creed from the grief of Desmond's death. My sister actually consoles Rebecca, telling her that with time, William will come back and join the Creed. Telling her that he just needs time to mourn the loss of his son.

I continue onto another thread where I see a photo of my sister. It is a beautiful photo of her, close up with her smiling; something that I haven't seen in a long time. The caption says _missing you_ , and it was sent to Rebecca's private phone. I swallow hard and move to another thread between her and William. My heart races at the exchange.

 _I apologize for all the secrecy with my identity. If the rest of them knew I was Dalton's daughter, they wouldn't be welcoming me as warmly as they do now._

 _There is no need to apologize. We appreciate all you are doing for the Creed. You are one of us._

 _It's good to hear that, coming from you especially. I wish my sister could be helping the cause as well._

 _She will come around soon enough, with time._

 _You don't know her as well as I do. She holds a lot of resentment towards you and the Assassin's Creed._

 _I understand. I cannot begin to imagine what you girls went through that night, and believe me, I wish the outcome was different than what it was. Maybe I will have the chance to tell her that in person._

I run my fingers through my hair, unable to look at any more of this information. I log off of the computer and grab the thumb drive heading to bed.

 _"_ _His name was Andre de Montbard." Alan had told her, placing a file in front of her. "He was a founding Knight of the Templar Order the 5_ _th_ _Grand Master. He was a keystone of our formation and a direct descendant of your bloodline." Alan said proudly. "Your father often spoke of him and his desires to enter the memories of one of the founding members of the Order. A pity he was not here to see this day come." Alan said placing his head down at Dalton's member._

 _Amelia looked at the folder, fingering through the countless pages on her ancestor. "And how will entering the memories of my dead ancestor get me any closer to killing William Miles?" Amelia asked bluntly at the displeasure of Alan._

 _He released a labored sigh. "According to some accounts, Andre was in the possession of a Piece of Eden." He said and her eyes shot up at him, suddenly more interested in what he had to say. "You locate the memory of that piece, and I guarantee that with it's power, will bring an end to William Miles." He promised her. She smiled down, looking at the file. "How is your time in the Animus fairing?" Alan asked her with a slight thirst._

 _She continued to look down at the file, responding uninterestingly, "I can withstand the fatigue of the Animus." She told him. "Lilly is working on an algorithm to locate the precise timeframe and conditions that I can stay inside the Animus without experiencing the Bleeding Effect."_

 _He smiled at her, feeling proud of her in this moment. "This is good news. You two shall continue to work with one another on this project and I foresee it being very fruitful for you."_

 _Amelia smiled, placing the file on his desk. She walked out of his office, closing the door behind her. She walked down the hall when a figure approached her. She looked up to see that is was Daniel Cross._

 _She passed him without a word, when he looked back at her. "Hey Kid," He called out to her, making her eyes roll at his name for her. "You're the new guinea pig for the Animus Project." He said amused at the sight of her._

 _She let out an annoyed sigh, not feeling the desire to speak with him on this. "I am." She had told him simply._

 _He had let out an amused chuckle. "So, you're the one they'll feed to the wolves." He said looking her up and down, smiling wickedly at her. "Shame, you're too cute to be a looney."_

 _Amelia swallowed hard, "So you haven't heard then?" She asked him with a sly smile. "That I am able to enter the Animus and withstand its side effects at three times the rate you were able to. And they don't even have to put me in a coma like you. Looks like you're becoming old news." She sneered at him._

 _He frowned at her, feeling hot at her comment. "Give it time, Kid. You'll hear the voices soon enough." He threatened her._

 _"_ _I doubt that," She had told him. "What will happen though, is that I will find whatever Piece of Eden my ancestor used, and I will use it against the Mentor of the Assassin's Creed." She promised him._

 _Daniel let out an amused laugh. "William Miles?" He asked her in disbelief. "No, Kid." He let out with an amused laugh. "The only thing that is going to happen if you go after Bill is your own death."_

 _"_ _You don't know that." She said between clenched teeth._

 _"_ _Oh, but I do." He laughed. "The only thing that you will get out of William Miles, is your death." He let out a sinister smile, walking away from her, "Just like your father." He called out with a threatening chuckle._

I sit in Alan's office, my hands in the pockets of my black leather jacket as I wait for him to enter. I swallow the lump in my throat, trying to keep the tears that form in my eyes at bay.

I hear a click of the door and I stiffen at the sound of his footsteps approaching me. He moves to his desk, unbuttoning his blazer before sitting down across from me. "Miss James," He says with an amused tone. "To what do I owe the pleasure of your presence?"

I look up at him as his ominous smile creeps up his cheek. "I have located Rebecca Crane's hideout." I tell him, pushing the piece of paper that holds the coordinates of the lighthouse. "I urge you to dispatch a team there immediately."

He takes the paper hesitantly, looking onto it with interest. "And how did you locate this?"

I pull out the thumb drive from my jacket pocket holding it up to him. "This is everything I have located on Rebecca, her hideout, her conversations with Bishop and William. Everything the Order has searched for." I tell him, knowing the drive has everything but any incriminating evidence about my sister and her involvement. He eagerly grabs for the drive, but I flick my wrist pulling the drive back to me. "William Miles." I begin, "Is mine." I say sternly.

He lets out a humorless scoff. "How many times have we gone over this, Amelia." He smiles at me. "William Miles is too important to the Order to give up for your meaningless quest for vengeance." He says getting up.

I pull out a gun and point it at him. He chuckles, slowly slumping back into his chair with disinterest. "William Miles, is mine." I repeat more sternly.

He lets out a scoff, "You're not going to shoot me." He tells me with a smile on his face.

I cock the gun. "Would you like to find out?" I ask him with a raised brow.

His jaw tenses and his eyes show the slightest amount of fear in them. It is subtle, but I have known him long enough to know what it looks like. "You pull that trigger, and you will be gunned down immediately." He threatens.

I let out a chuckle, "I know." I tell him. "But I have nothing to lose." I smile, "Juhani cannot stand to look at me without thinking about Daniel, I cannot get naked without thinking of that vile man on top of me, I see Andre lurking in every corner, my mind is no longer my own—voices that are not my own… and you are the one to blame. For all of it." I say lowly.

"And your sister?" He asks me as I look up at him. "You won't leave her in this world alone."

I snicker at his comment. "Lilly manages well enough without me so it seems." I tell him getting out of my seat and approaching him.

"Let us talk this out, child" He says with an uneven tone.

I turn to him, holding the gun in front of his face. "What satisfaction did you get out of letting Sinclair rape me?" I ask him shaking slightly. "Was it the money he gave you? Or was it the power that you finally got over Dalton?"

"Amelia, please." He pleads as I approach him, the realization that I will kill him settling in.

"Did it make you feel like a man? Did it make you feel big; bringing a girl to her most vulnerable?" I ask him. "What the hell did I do to you?" I ask him, pressing the gun between his eyes. "I was devoted to you. I did everything you asked of me!" I yell at him.

He lets out a sob fear overcomes his body. Tears stream from his eyes. "Mila, please, put the gun down and we can discuss this together!" He cries out.

"Did you get satisfaction from it? Did you watch? Did you wish that it was your hands holding me down?" I ask him, spitting in his face with every word.

"You are my daughter," He cries, "I always saw you girls as my daughters!"

"Your daughters?" I laugh, "So who will you have rape Sophia?" I ask him with wide eyes, "I recommend Kilkerman." I spit, pressing the gun harder to his face.

He begins crying and I begin crying as well. "I lost myself then. I will never get her back." I tell him. "You took away my life that night." I swallow hard, "And now I will take yours."

I straighten up. He shuts his eyes tightly, soiling himself in his chair in utter fear. I pull the trigger of the gun. A loud click is heard and Alan cries out. No bullet is deployed because there was never a bullet in the gun. Alan lets out a wavering cry as his eyes open.

I look down at him with disgust on my face. "You are not a big man." I tell him. "You are weak and you are pathetic." I say. "Remember the helplessness you felt just now, because you are nothing and never have been. You will never hold a candle to Dalton, and that will haunt you for the rest of your miserable existence." I spit.

I grab his neck and look into his teary eyes. "You will restore my rank within this Order, you will give me my own Sigma Team, and you will give me full access to any missions, supplies, and privacy for any assignment I chose. If you fail to do this, I will take your sweet daughter Sophia, I will do to her what you did to me. I will make you watch like you made Juhani watch, and I will show you just how small of a man you really are." I tell him, pushing his face away from me.

I turn away from him, heading out of the office without another word.


	14. Into Dust

Hello all! Sorry for the delay on this chapter! There has been a lot of writer's block for me on both my Assassin's Creed Fanfics, but I am hoping to update them more often. Hope you are liking the story so far!

* * *

 **Into Dust**

A month passes and Alan makes good on my threats. He restores my rank in a controversial move against Ellen, and he grants me access to all of Abstergo's files for the newly created Abstergo Historical Research—a rebranding of Abstergo Entertainment after the shooting.

Alan has made sure that my time here has been smooth and without any resistance. My threats have not fallen on deaf ears and he has made good on ensuring that everything is in my favor.

I continue to do research with the Animus, entering scattered memories from time to time, but not focusing so much on the Grail with Alan no longer on my ass. I have been toying around with the idea of allowing users to enter the memories of others, without needing the host's DNA. My goal is to have anyone enter the Animus and view anyone's DNA, without needing a decedent of the ancestor in the Animus. So far my work has led me to a wall, but I continue to work towards this idea.

I head into the Animus Room and log onto my computer where I enter the shareholder's quarterly meeting. I wait for a moment for everyone to join since I am early. I fiddle around on my computer, pulling together all the data I have gathered within the Animus so far, knowing that I will have to speak on it.

Everyone enters the call, and we begin with the shareholder's meeting.

"Hello everyone," Ellen begins trough the computer, "and welcome to the Q4 stakeholders meeting." She states. She begins with the biggest news of the year; Sophia locating the Apple of Eden. Everyone congratulates her, and Ellen continues stating that Alan will present to Apple to the next council gathering that we are to all attend. Alan's smug face lights up at his daughter's achievement. Sophia begins speaking on her findings, and I find myself writhing in anger at her finding an artifact before I located the Holy Grail.

"While on the topic of Alan's team," Ellen moves on, "I will turn it over for an update from Amelia and her work within the Animus?"

I clear my throat, "Thank you Ellen." I say. "I have been working on a software update for the Animus. My vision will allow anyone to enter the Animus and review historical accounts regardless of bloodlines or ancestral ties. Ideally, we will also not need any DNA storage from an ancestral source. If successful, we will be able to review any and all memories of any historical person of your choosing." I say and everyone seems to be interested in this work. I continue with a beating heart. "The vision is that I, as an ancestor of Andre de Montbard, can look into the memories of all the men and woman that Andre had contact with and be able to have access to their ancestral line. This would give us access to countless sources without needing a blood relative of the subject." I say and I can see the interest in everyone.

"I am also working on sync issues with the Animus." I continue. "At its current state, I need to sync with the Animus in order to search for specific memories; oftentimes, this delays the desired memory being located by days, sometimes weeks. With this update, the user will be able to search specific key words within the person's memory, and any account of that key word will populate. This would result in my locating the Holy Grail in Andre's memories directly, as well as aiding Abstergo in locating any other accounts of Pieces of Eden."

"This is very impressive, Amelia." Ellen says almost genuinely. "What is the projected timeline for this software update?"

I swallow hard, "Currently we are looking at Q2 before I receive any real results with these Animus updates as I focus on alleviating the Bleeding Effect."

"So, if we have a goal where anyone can enter the Animus, regardless of bloodline ties," Juhani begins, "Then why would Abstergo need you to enter the Animus to retrieve these memories?" He questions. "Seems as though, if we can get anyone to enter the Animus, we no longer need you to do the work." He states, "Using you would be a waste of your time."

I tense my jaw and send Juhani a hard-pressed glare through the camera. "And how much time has Sigma Team wasted on failing to locate the Shroud?" I return venomously.

"We are not speaking of Sigma Team." Ellen interjects sternly.

"I am not fighting you, Amelia," Juhani says sternly as if he were scolding a child. "I am simply saying that you will be able to focus more on aiding Sigma Team here in London with your hacking skills."

"Why would Sigma Team need my help?" I ask crossly, "Are Lilly's renowned hacking skills not aiding the team well enough?" I say spitefully.

"Amelia," Laetitia warns as Lilly looks at me through the computer with a pressed glare.

"What invaluable information have you been working on these days, Lilly?" I ask with a sideways smile. "Any update on the location of William or Rebecca? How about the identity of _Bishop_?" I ask her callously and both she and Juhani tense at my comment.

"Don't be that way, Amelia." Ellen says, "It makes you look so ugly."

"With the Animus update Amelia is working on," Alan interjects, "She will have the opportunity to join Sigma Team on the field and provide valuable support on the frontline, locating the artifacts."

"Do we believe that is wise?" Violet adds. "The last time Amelia was on the field, she shot me." She says angrily.

I open my mouth to respond by Juhani does before I can, "I am inclined to agree." He says looking away from the computer. "Amelia is a risk to herself and others until she has had more time away from the Animus. I believe her skills would be better suited updating the Animus, and then providing Sigma Team with aid virtually."

My heart drops and I feel myself getting hot at the comment. Juhani knows more than anyone else how much I want to be in the field, and for him to denounce my worth in front of everyone stings more than anything.

"I agree as well," Ellen speaks up. "Amelia has suffered many traumas recently. Placing her in the field may be detrimental to everyone."

"Amelia has been working well with the Animus," Doctor Sung interjects. "We have been monitoring her closely, and with the continuous updates to the Animus, she hasn't suffered an episode since."

"I do believe it worth noting that Amelia has been providing vital information for the Order." Alan adds and everyone freezes at the comment, including me. "The Bleeding Effect has almost all subdued since she has been working with the Animus; something that even Lilly could not do." He says and I watch Lilly stiffen. "Furthermore, she has been substantial to the work Sophia gathered regarding the Apple, and should be praised." He lies. "Without her aid, the Animus would have never located the Apple."

I press my brows together and look at Sophia on the video chat. She seems tense and uncomfortable at the lie that I aided her in located the Apple, but she does not argue the fact.

"Well," Ellen sighs, "I did not realize that Amelia was involved in Sophia's project." She says and no one corrects her. "I am pleased to see your success within the Order, Miss James." She says insincerely.

"I believe Amelia does deserve more recognition for her work within the Order." Alan continues and I notice a confused look from Ellen and Laetitia. Not knowing that Allan is kissing up to me since I threatened his life.

"Very well," Ellen says with a sigh. "After the council meeting, we will assess the new quarterly budget. If the funds allow, we will lift the budget for Abstergo Industries, allowing Amelia more resources to continue her updates within the Animus." She says reluctantly and I smile to myself, knowing that I am doing more with the Animus than my sister ever has.

We continue with the meeting, and Laetitia takes over, speaking of Abstergo Historical Research's work in locating the Shroud of Eden. She explains that Juhani and the others have been unsuccessful in locating the Shroud, and any attempts in locating it have been met with false information, or Assassin force. I find myself smiling, knowing that Sigma Team is not doing as well as I am, and though it may be petty, it brings me a sense of accomplishment.

The meeting ends with a financial review of the year and a reminder that the council meeting to present the Apple to the Order will commence at the end of the week.

I decide to continue to work on the Animus with my updates. I have told Alan that a driving force for this update to the Animus is locating the Holy Grail in Andre's memories, but the fact of my intentions are to enter the memories of my sister, and understand better how she became Bishop. I have attempted to enter her memories before, since we are identical twins, thinking that it would be easy with our DNA, but it seems that since we experience separate memories, I am unable to view her memories, despite having my DNA storage in the Animus.

I comb through some memories I have of her, knowing well just how dangerous it is to enter your own memories within the Animus. I search for memories, and can't seem to find any that would help me understand where the turn of her faith occurred. I decide to enter the Animus for a random memory, hoping this will be a better idea.

 _Juhani entered the room as Lilly sat at the computer typing to Rebecca. She expressed her concerns with her sister's growing temper and loss of control as she abused her time in the Animus. Juhani watched for a moment as he read the exchange between Lilly and Rebecca. He cleared his throat as he entered the room, causing Lilly to jump at the sound of him entering the room._

 _"_ _Juhani?" She asked. "What brings you here?" she said exiting the chat with Rebecca._

 _"_ _Have you spoken with your sister?" Juhani asked her, making it clear to her that he noticed the chat but not saying anything about it._

 _"_ _No," She had let out, "Last I heard from her, she was recovering from her shot."_

 _"_ _I have been relocated to Abstergo Entertainment as security detail by commands of Ellen." Juhani said with a hint of disappointment in his voice._

 _"_ _Security detail?" Lilly asked. "Why is Sigma Team being asked to do security for Abstergo Entertainment? It seems like a waste of your talent."_

 _"_ _Amelia has requested it personally." He said. "With the Standish debacle, she demanded that better security precautions be put into place."_

 _She let out a heavy sigh, "That will mean that Abstergo Entertainment will be under heavier surveillance." She frowned._

 _"_ _You will need to funnel your operations within another server." He told her. "Paying off Standish to turn a blind eye to your dealings was easy. Violet and Amelia are another story." He warned her._

 _"_ _Shit," She had let out at the realization that her information would not be relayed as easily._

 _"_ _Is there is anything that I can assist with while I am there?" Juhani asked her._

 _She bit her lip, "I am worried about Amelia," she confessed. "She has been hell bent on gathering information about Bishop._

 _Juhani nodded once, knowing what was being asked of him. "I will ensure her attempts are redirected." He assured her, turning away from her._

 _"_ _Juhani," She called out and he turned back to her. "Do you think we will ever be able to tell her the truth?" She asked him. "That she would understand?"_

 _Juhani swallowed hard, unsure how to answer her and instead returned with a shrug and said, "She may never understand, but we can hope she will forgive."_

I rise out of the Animus, falling over the side of it. I hold my head, trying desperately to keep it together as it falls apart. "What the hell was that?" I ask myself, holding my head as a tear falls down my cheek from the pain.

I stagger to my feet and run to the corner of the room where I throw up in a trashcan, feeling nauseated as if I am spinning. I take a deep breath, trying to find my bearings.

After taking a moment to gather my mind, I begin thinking about the memory I have just been shown. The data sequence was pulling a random memory from my memory bank, however, it is clear that the memory did not have me anywhere present, in fact, I had just been shot in the memory, recovering in Montreal. So how was I able to see a memory of Lilly's?

I swallow hard, getting up to my feet and research how I was able to see this memory. I search the Animus for any memories of Lilly, figuring that she might have placed her DNA within the Animus for some reason, but I cannot find any when I type the sequence.

I search to see if Juhani is in the Animus, and it returns with the no memories either. I chew on my nails as I search the source of the memory, but the search continuously returns that I am the source of the memory.

"That's not possible, I wasn't there." I let out in frustration.

This has to be a step in the right direction with all the updates I have done to the Animus. I must be pulling the memory from Lilly, without needing her DNA as source. But that doesn't explain why it is showing the memory coming from me, and why I cannot search any of her memories.

I take a labored sigh, still feeling sick and wanting to take a rest. I decide to table this and look into it in the morning. I head to my suit, looking solemnly at my sister's empty room. I enter her room and look around. Most of her things are gone, with nothing by the furniture left in the room.

I head over to the dresser where the chess set sits. I frown at the sight of it, approaching it with a heavy feeling in my stomach. I look at the quarter that sits on the now destroyed white Bishop piece's square. I frown knowing that now I will never see the piece again.

I look away from the chess set and head out of the room, the feeling of dread lifting from my chest. I head to my room and get ready for bed, feeling myself drift to sleep almost immediately.

 _Andre groaned as he woke, the feeling of incredible pain coming from his abdomen. He let out a cry as he looked down, seeing blood stain his bandages. Queen Elenore came running in, hearing the cries of the Templar._

 _"_ _Andre," She called out to him, "What happened?" She looked at his bandages and moved her hands to his chest. "You must have opened your wounds in your sleep." She told him, untying his shirt cutting his bandages._

 _He groaned as she carefully ripped the bandages that formed to his wounds. She soothed him with her soft voice, keeping his mind from the pain._

 _Andre looked down at Elenore as her hands touched his lower abdomen. He watched as her delicate hands touched him. He hadn't been touched by a woman in years since the medics within the Order were men._

 _He felt the blood rush to his member, uncontrollably responding to the foreign touch of a woman. Elenore looked down at the bulge building in Andre's loins. She sheepishly smiled down at him and he felt shame in her response._

 _"_ _Please, leave me. I can tend to the wound." He told her._

 _"_ _Don't be rash." She said it him. "It is only natural for a man to react to a woman in such a way."_

 _"_ _I have taken a vow of celibacy to my Lord. You are my Queen. Married under the eyes of the Lord." Andre told her sternly._

 _"_ _Of course, Andre. But you are only man. And I am only woman." She said to him, continuing to tend to the dressing._

 _"_ _Have you ever been with a woman, Andre?" She asks the Knight, her hands dangerously close to him._

 _"_ _Of course I have." Andre contested her. "I was but any other man before I was a Templar. But I have taken a vow before God to dedicate my life to Him." Andre told her sternly._

 _"_ _Do we not dedicate our lives to God by giving him more children to love His benevolent ways? Why would God punish you from continuing your line and spreading His word from children of your own?" She questioned his oath. "Would He not want His subjects to create more subjects to worship Him?"_

 _Andre thought for a moment, never questioning the vows he spoke to his Lord._

 _"_ _The vow of celibacy is not what God wants of you. It is folly to think the Lord would sojourn you from continuing your line, for the love of family brings you closer to God. I believe it is rather the Order, ensuring family does not get in the way of your duties, not to God but to the Order. For what is more dangerous to the Order than a man head of his own household."_

 _Andre's jaw tensed as Elenore's hands moved to untying his loins. He knew that he was powerless to stop her in the condition that his wounds were in. And he dared not allow his mind to accept that her touch felt pleasurable._

 _"_ _I once walked in on Louis with a girl from the court. She had his manhood in her mouth, and he moaned for her like he has never before. It was a curious thing to see him wrapped in such pleasures." Elenore looked into Andre's eyes lustfully. "I always pondered what it would feel like to deliver a man such pleasure. Though I know I could never give Louis such pleasures." She said pulling out Andre's hard member from his loins._

 _She licked her lips, smiling at Andre. "Perhaps I can provide you with those pleasures?" She said to Andre. Before he could contest, she placed her soft lips to his member, placing it in her mouth._

 _Andre moaned at the sensation. It was unlike anything he had ever experienced. It was similar to a woman's entrance, but different at the same time. It was wetter and warmer and a sensation that Andre had missed since joining the Order._

 _Her lips were soft and her mouth was warm. Andre laid back as the Queen help onto him, giving him a sensation that felt ground breaking. Andre's head pulled back as he groaned with a shaking pleasure. He felt himself climaxing, spilling his seed in her mouth._

 _She wiped her mouth, smiling up at the Knight. She did not look like a Queen in this moment, but rather his woman and no one else's._

I sit in the back of a car, looking out the window as Alan sits next to me. I absentmindedly look out the window as we speed past the city lights, moving closer to the council meeting. Alan practices his speech in the car sitting between Sofia and myself. I avoid the awkward presence of Sophia in the car with us, keeping my eyes off of hers, knowing that her gaze lingers.

She continually watches me, wondering why her father would claim I assisted her in locating the Apple. She watches me suspiciously, waiting for my eyes to meet hers, but they will not.

Alan glances over at Sophia as the car reaches a slow halt in front of the venue. "I am so very proud of you." He tells her with a smile that brings his wrinkles to his eyes.

"Thank you, Father." She says obediently.

He turns to me and looks me up and down, examining the long white fitted mermaid dress that I wear tonight. He places his hand on my thigh just above my knee. He squeezes my thigh and smiles at me. "Come," he lets out as Sophia's eyes dig into her father's gesture to my leg. "Let us celebrate tonight." He says reaching over me to open the door to the car to and motions me out.

I step out of the car and head up the stairs towards the venue. Once we are in the lobby, Alan gives Sophia a kiss and heads backstage, leaving us both awkwardly alone in the lobby as guests begin to gather around us.

Sofia approaches me quietly, lowering her head to my level, "Are you sleeping with my father?" She asks me and I stagger away from her, my brows pressed together in disgust.

"No, I am not fucking Alan." I tell her harshly.

"Then why did he lie?" She asks me with more betrayal than hatred in her voice. "It was my hard work that located the Apple. Not yours. Not his. And yet here we; he is presenting the Apple to the council with his hand wrapped around your thigh."

"Do you remember at your piano recital when Alan was in the Lobby speaking with my father about his position in the Order during your solo?" I ask her and her face stays cold and expressionless. "You were so devastated when you looked out and he was not there. You looked at me instead since it was the only other face in the crowd that came to see you."

"What are you getting at?" She says getting frustrated at my story."

"Alan has always been a self-serving piece of shit." I tell her harshly. I grab two champagnes from the tray of a waiter walking by and hand her one. "He is being nice to me because I put a gun to his head and told him I would pull the trigger if I didn't have my way in the Order." I tell her, handing her the glass. "So, he restored my rank and told Ellen that I aided you in locating the Apple."

"He wouldn't overshadow my accomplishments within the Order to feed your fragile ego." She says forcefully.

"No, but when I threatened to have you raped as he did to me, his willpower quickly diminished." I say clinging my glass to hers with a wide smile. "Remember, Sophia. It was you who wished him dead at your piano recital. I will just be the one to deliver on that promise."

Before she can say anymore, Laetitia approaches us with a wide smile. "Sophia, you are a vision." She swoons as she takes Sophia into a hug. "I am so proud of you for this discovery."

"Yes," Ellen joins in behind Laetitia. "The council is very proud of you." She looks over at me, "both of you apparently." She says analyzing me.

"It is a shame you two won't be able to join Alan on stage." Laetitia says as she grabs a champagne glass. She toasts to us both and we all take a sip. "Amelia, would you mind joining me to our seats?"

"Of course," I let out with a sigh as she leads the way.

"How has Alan been treating you?" She asks me once we are out of earshot from everyone else. "It seems on that call that he is on better terms with you." She says, her tone genuine.

I clear my throat, "Alan has been very instrumental in my development within the Order." I let out simply.

She stops and looks at me with a pressed glare. "Don't be like that towards me, Amelia. I truly care for you. It was not my decision to have you return under his supervision, and had I had it my way, you wouldn't have been left with him unsupervised." I nod and she bites her lip with conviction. "Has he made inappropriate moves towards you?"

"No," is all I can let out as she continues.

"The way Alan came to your defense on the call was troublesome. After you dropped off, he demanded that you stay with him to continue to work closely with him on the Animus project. He rejected any movement of you under the Historical Research division." She looks at me with concerned eyes. "I am worried about you."

I decide not to tell her about my threats against Alan's life and tell here about Andre instead. "Andre and Queen Elenore had an affair." I tell her, "They haven't had sex yet, but it is only a matter of time. So the Brahman showing me King Richard's memories is starting to make more sense. I think he is the son of Andre de Montbard."

"Have you unlocked all of Andre's memories?" She asks curiously.

"Not yet," I tell her. "But I watched her use the Grail to bring him back from the brink of death. He is about to become Grand Master so he doesn't have long after that.

"Have you tried unlocking your father's memories? Is there any account of the Grail?" She asks me.

"I am met with resistance every time I try." I tell her and she frowns. "Did he ever tell you about the Grail?" I ask her, "Did he ever mention having it in his possession?"

She lets out a labored sigh. "Your father kept a lot of secrets from everyone." She says sadly, "He never mentioned the Grail to me."

I let out a sigh, "My hope is that once I sync with Andre, I will be able to sync with my father and find the Grail."

"What are your intentions with the Grail once you have located it?" She asks me with tense eyes.

My eyes glance away from her when they land on Juhani entering the lobby wheeling my sister in. He looks so handsome, wearing a dark grey suit with black accents. His black hair is slicked back and his eyes and smile stand out as they always do. "When it was first mentioned, Juhani and I spoke about using the Grail on his daughter with the hopes that it would cure her cystic fibrosis." I tell her, my eyes locked on him.

She lets out a sigh, looking back at him and Lily. "Some advice then," She says looking back at me. "When you find the Grail, use it on the girl before you tell Alan about it. He won't let you have it once he knows about it."

I nod at her, knowing that once I have the Grail, I won't have any more use for Alan anymore, since his presence is the only thing keeping me in the Animus and out of desk work.

"He misses you," Laetitia says, seeing my lingering eyes on him. "Swallow your pride, and apologize for whatever petty fight you're having. You never know when will be the last time you speak to someone." She says with a hint of pain in her voice, and I can tell that she is thinking of my father.

I swallow hard, not knowing what to say to her, so I just nod at her, heading over to him to say something to him. He looks up and sees me approaching him. He lowers his head to my sister, whispering something to her before heading towards me. He meets me halfway and smiles genuinely at me.

"You are a vision, Amelia." He says to me and I smile sheepishly. We look perfect together in our outfits.

"You look perfect tonight." I tell him and he smiles to himself.

"Juhani," I let out, "I am sorry about my outburst on the call, and my lack of communication with you since…" I hang on the end of the sentence looking at my sister. "It was just a lot of betrayal to take in at once."

"I will never betray you, Amelia." He tells me quietly. "I am sorry you felt that way."

"I don't want to think about it." I tell him, looking up at him with a smile. "I just want to enjoy this moment with you."

"Come, let us take our seats and you can tell me all about your work in the Animus." Juhani says, handing me the cloak that the ushers provide to us as we enter the auditorium.

We enter the auditorium and speak for a moment. Juhani smiles at me and I cannot help but fall in love with him all over again. I feel my heart ache as I see him here, longing to see him after this.

The lights dim and Alan approaches the podium and begins his speech. He speaks for a moment about the future of the Order. He speaks of notable figures of the Order that have provided and paved the future. He speaks of glory and all those who have given it to the Templars. I am surprised when he even mentions my father for the glory he bestowed onto the Order when he lured thousands of Assassins to their death under the false pretenses of Parle.

I look over at Juhani and he gives me a reassuring squeeze of the hand. I get up and leave the auditorium, unable to hear Alan speak of my father and the very action that led to the Order demanding his daughters as punishment for his actions.

I run to the restroom and barely make it to the toilet as I wretch up the sickness in my stomach. I spit out the remanence, remember the night at the Gala all over again. I try to push the memory out of my mind, but it haunts me daily.

I groan as the sickness passes and head to the sink where I wash my hands and mouth. I take a wet rag from the counter and dab it on my face, trying not to ruin my makeup.

The door to one of the stalls opens and I look through the mirror to see my sister wheeling herself out of the stall. She goes to wash her hands, unable to look at me as I am unable to look at her.

"Eat something bad?" She asks me, hearing my vomiting in the other stall.

I swallow hard. "Just got nauseous from Alan's shit speech about our father." I try to joke.

She lets out a scoff when she realizes that it is a joke. "Yeah well Alan has never been good at speeches." She laughs.

"I better get back." I say leaving the bathroom, not being able to be in the same room with her.

She doesn't say anything, or call out to me as I expect her to. I head into the lobby where I see Sophia standing stiff while a figure behind a hood speaks with her. She clearly looks disturbed by his presence. He says something to her and closes her eyes as he walks past her.

I approach her slowly as she opens her eyes. "Who was that?" I ask her.

"It does not matter anymore." She says simply, looking up at the ceiling. We hear applause ringing out as Alan announces the Apple. I watch as tears fall down Sophia's face and my heart races. I run towards the auditorium as everyone stands cheering. I look around frantically as Alan walks off the stage.

My heart drops and I call out "Alan!" I yell running towards him when a shadowy figure approaches him from behind and slits his throat with a hidden blade. I stop dead in my tracks as people begin to panic, running out of the auditorium in terror.

I run to Alan who is still alive as blood gushes from his neck. I grab onto his neck tightly, trying to stop the bleeding. "Don't you fucking die." I command him. "I still need you." I tell him as I rip off my cloak, tearing strips to create a bandage.

I look down at his hands to see the Apple of Eden has been replaced with a simple apple. "Fuck!" I let out when I see that Assassins have the Apple.

"Mila!" Juhani calls out behind me, a pistol in his hand.

"They went to the rooftop!" I yell out to him. "Juhani!" I call out to him, "They have the Apple." I tell him frantically as he nods, running towards the roof access door. Alan's blood stains my white dress as I try to keep him alive, but I see him falling.

"Amelia, step away." Ellen commands me looking down at me.

"I am trying to save him!" I yell at her. I look back down at Alan and I see it in his eyes. The look in my mother's eyes, Daniel's, my father's. The look of death.

I let out a sigh, dropping down away from him. I wipe my nose with the back of my bloody hand. Laetitia places her hand on my shoulder as I look down at the man who has caused me so much heart ache, yet was my only hope at getting the Grail.

"Come on, Amelia." Laetitia says in a soothing tone. "There is nothing more we can do for him."

I let out a sigh and get up with her help. We head out of the auditorium where a few high-ranking Inner Sanctum officials linger. Ellen is speaking with Sophia, who I watch wearily, knowing that whomever she spoke to was involved in this somehow.

I look over at my sister who looks at me with pure shock, undoubtably at the sight of blood stained all over my white dress. I let out a sigh as I join the rest of them. I turn to see Juhani followed by Violet as they run towards us.

"Did you find them? The Apple?" I ask him eagerly.

Juhani shakes his head disappointed. "Both are gone."


End file.
